Yeah, it's the law. A dozen District 10 residents jumped in with both feet on the side of pedestrian safety May 19 during our neighborhood's first "Stop for Me" pedestrian safety event. The event, at Lexington Parkway and E. Como Lake Drive, emphasized that state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk -- marked or unmarked -- every corner, every turn, every time. St. Paul Police ticketed 15 drivers who broke the law.
Rent? Lease? Learn Something You Don't Know
District 10 is partnering with HOME Line to offer Tenant and Landlord workshops in June. The workshops are free, but registration is required --  and June is not as far away as you think it is.
  • The Tenant Workshop will focus on the three biggest sources of renter complaints: repairs, evictions, and security deposits.  It takes place next Thursday, June 2, from 5-6:30 p.m.
  • The Landlord Workshop is designed for property owners and managers, whether they rent out a single-family home or multiple units. Topics include the tenant application process, discrimination and fair housing issues, repairs, bedbugs, evictions, and requirements about when a landlord can or cannot enter the living space. The landlord workshop takes place on Tuesday June 7 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

Both workshops will leave plenty of time for specific questions. Both workshops are at the Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton.
Some Trashy Reading for Your Weekend   
Nearly 2,000 people voiced an opinion about whether or not St. Paul should set up organized trash collection in the city. Now, thanks to the Department of Public Works' official report to the City Council, you can find summaries of what residents say and what they pay. Some highlights:
  • Residents prioritize quality customer service, stable rates, and low cost.
  • Some residents clearly get a better deal than others: Some households pay more than $40 a month less for the same size trash container.
Public Works gives its official presentation to the City Council this Wednesday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m. A public hearing on the issue begins after 5:30 p.m. in the third-floor City Council chambers, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
Map: St. Paul Almanac
Tell Us: How Should a Block Club Work?
District 10 is partnering with the Como Park Falcon Heights Living at Home Block Nurse Program to revitalize block clubs in our neighborhood. To do that, we need your opinions. Please take our survey -- and do it by the end of the month: next Tuesday, May 31. Do you have an active block club? Wish you had one? Have opinions about what a block club should be? Tell us your priorities so we all can do a better job of connecting with our neighbors and looking out for one another.
Help Graduates Go Out in Style
For more than a generation, parents at Como Park High School have thrown an all-night party for seniors after graduation. It is a safe, supervised night of fun in the school. But parents rely on the community for help. Here's two ways you can pitch in:
  • Supply food or baked goods. You can deliver your munchies to the school on Thursday June 9. Got questions? Email the school's booster club.
  • Eat at Connie's Creamy Cone this Wednesday, June 1. If you mention the graduation party when you order, Connie's will donate a portion of your purchase to the party.
The Raptor Center is one of the attractions at the Como Carnival.
Who Says School Can't Be Fun and Games?
Not to be left out, Como Park Elementary is throwing a party of its own. The annual Como Carnival is next Friday, June 3, from 5-7:30 p.m. on the school grounds, 780 W. Wheelock Parkway. Admission is free.

The fund-raiser includes more than a dozen carnival games, plus food, plus a demonstration from the University of Minnesota Raptor Center, plus free shows in the Como Planetarium, plus both the horse patrol and canine patrol from the St. Paul Police Department, plus raffles, plus a silent auction, plus something called a Snack Walk -- which simply sounds too good to pass up.
The Antidote to Video Games
The Twin Cities German Immersion School welcomes Open Eye Theatre's Driveway Tour this Tuesday, May 30, with a free puppet show, "Molly and the Magic Boot." The entire community is invited to the show, which begins at 7 p.m. on the school's playground, 1031 Como Ave.
No, you won't have to spell the names of these tiny water creatures. Photo: Jan Hamrsky
Wonder What Lives in Como Lake?
Then bring a child, age 6-11, to "Bugs' Night Out" on Tuesday June 7. Using dip nets, bug expert Brandon Burns will help children find out what kind of macroinvertebrates inhabit the lake -- and what that tells us about the lake's water quality. To reserve your spot, contact the Capitol Region Watershed District's Lindsay VanPatten by email or by phone at 651-644-8888. Then meet at the dock area near the Pavilion at 6 p.m. June 7. All adults must be accompanied by at least one child.
It's Never Too Early to Sign Up
This year's ComoFest promises affordable, family fun in the neighborhood every weekend in July. The full schedule of events is available online. Plus, registration is now open for these events:
Photo: Niagra University
Get Your Moves Down This Summer
"City Moves" is a multi-sport program for teens, ages 13-18, sponsored by St. Paul Parks and Recreation and St. Paul Public Schools. Activities on our side of town include basketball, weights, volleyball, and badminton. They take place Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-9 p.m., from June 14-July 21. Activities are at Washington Technology High School (near Rice and Nebraska), but you've got to register at North Dale Rec Center. Call 651-558-2329 for details.
Georgia O'Keeffe's
"Oriental Poppies"
Seeing Art with a New Eye
The ever-intriguing Artful Living series at Lyngblomsten features two new programs on Tuesday June 7. The entire community is welcome.
  • Peter Wong features his photos, plus photos by his students in two Dakota County school districts. His free presentation is 6-7 p.m. in the Newman-Benson Chapel.
  • Art With Heart kicks off a four-week session exploring the legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe. The classes run Tuesdays, June 7-28, from 1-2:30 p.m. at the 5-5-1 Club. Registration is $25; sign up by email or by calling 651-632-5330.
Photo: Mike Lentz
Feeding Your Natural Instincts
The Landscape Revival Native Plant Expo and Market takes place for one day only: next Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Cub Foods pavilion at 1201 W. Larpenteur. The market features native plants from 12 local growers; it's sponsored by Wild Ones, St. Paul Audubon Society, and the Capitol Region Watershed District, among others.
Don't Look Now, but June is Here       
  • This Tuesday, May 31: The monthly District 10 Land Use Committee meeting is cancelled.
  • This Wednesday, June 1: Public hearing on a request to have the City of St. Paul vacate Aldine St. and adjacent property at 1694 Como Ave. so the International Institute can expand. District 10 supports the request, which is on our western border. 5:30 p.m., City Council Chambers, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
  • This Wednesday June 1: Public forum so community members can question the five finalists for St. Paul police chief. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Concordia University's E.M. Pearson Theater, 312 Hamline Ave. Details are available online.
  • This Thursday June 2: Public forum so community members can question the five finalists for St. Paul police chief. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Progressive Baptist Church, Main Sanctuary, 1505 Burns Ave.  Details are available online.
  • Friday June 10: The Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the proposed Snelling-Midway master plan and soccer stadium site plan. 8:30 a.m., City Hall Room 40, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
  • Saturday June 11: A Line rapid bus service begins on Snelling Ave. Rides are free that weekend.
  • Tuesday Aug. 2: National Night Out
The Road Does Not Go On Forever
Three new projects add to our travel challenges next week:
  • Como Ave. will be closed from 6 a.m.-4 p.m. this Tuesday, May 31, so the BNSF can work on the railroad tracks south of the Maryland / Wheelock / Victoria / Nagasaki intersections. 
  • Lexington Ave. closes at Highway 36, also at 6 a.m. this Tuesday, May 31. Lexington will stay closed until September, while MnDOT replaces the bridge.
  • Also May 31, Wheelock Parkway closes between Rice and Edgerton for complete reconstruction, which includes building the first segment of the Saint Paul Grand Round bicycle and pedestrian trail.
This roadwork is still going on:
  • Chatsworth Ave.: Closed between Front and Horton through July.
  • Cretin Ave. bridge over I-94: Closed through June 6.
  • Highway 5: Bridge over Mississippi River down to a single lane in both directions until November. Ramps at Edgecumbe Road, Highway 55, Mississippi River Blvd., and Shepard Road closed.
  • Highway 36 at Lexington: Eastbound ramps closed through October.
    Westbound ramps close beginning this Tuesday morning, May 31.
  • Highway 280: Closed between Broadway and Interstate 35W. Single lane between Broadway and Como. Southbound ramps at Larpenteur closed. Northbound ramp from Como closed.
  • Interstate 35E: Nightly lane closings between Maryland Ave. and I-94. Occasional work takes place as far north as Highway 36. Lane and ramp closings continue on L'Orient and Pennsylvania Ave./Phalen Blvd.
  • Larpenteur Ave.: Sidewalk, curb, and crosswalk work between Snelling and Oxford continues through June.
  • Prior Ave. bridge over I-94: Closed through Aug 15.
  • Victoria St.: Closed from County Road B north to Lovell Ave. in Roseville for resurfacing. It's supposed to reopen next week.
Crime Prevention Tip of the Week
Summer means a lot of things -- including more speeding and reckless driving, Sgt. Chris Byrne told the Como Community Council's May meeting. If you want to help police make a dent, he says, identify specific days, specific times of day, and the specific type of bad driving that you witness too often. That way, officers won't be just sitting there when they set up shop. Byrne oversees a unit of 12 officers whose only job is to enforce traffic laws. If you've got a stretch or intersection you think Byrne's unit should focus on, leave him a message at 651-266-5721.

"My guys write tickets," he says. They're not out just to give warnings." In District 10, "we've been working Dale a lot, and we're going to keep working it," he says. But Dale -- like Como overall -- is relatively tame when compared with Maryland Ave., Mounds Blvd., and intersections along University Ave.

Byrne says he understands the frustrations of residents who are fed up with excess speeds and drivers running stop signs on their local streets. "This time of year, people don't have to worry about road conditions, so speeds are up," he says. " I wish I had 12 more guys to handle all the complaints. We struggle to get them handled in a timely manner, but we do our best."  
   
The Latest Crime Report for Our Neighborhood  
The women's a cappella group Vallee de Croix is one of three performances at Dockside on Memorial Day.
Things Are Jumping at the Lake
The holiday weekend is not slowing down the Music in the Parks schedule at Como Dockside. All presentations are free. For the entire summer lineup, go to the Calendar section at Dockside's website.
  • Tonight, May 27: North County Bandits, 7 p.m.
  • This Saturday, May 28: Winds Out of the Northeast, 7 p.m.
  • This Sunday, May 29: Ecuador Manta, 7 p.m.
  • This Monday, May 30: Roseville Community Band, 3 p.m.; Minnesota State Band, 5 p.m.; Vallee de Croix, 7 p.m.
  • This Tuesday, May 31: Capri Big Band, 7 p.m.
  • This Wednesday, June 1: Nikki and the Ruemates, 7 p.m.
  • This Thursday, June 2: River City Jazz Orchestra, 7 p.m.
  • Next Friday, June 3: Le Dolce Vita Jazz, 7 p .m.
Spoiler alert: Beginning next Saturday, June 4, Dockside starts a "Music and Movies" series at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays. The first combination: "Labyrinth," with music from The Gentlemen's Anti-Temperance League.
This Week in the Park
  • 5K Colorfest Run: This Saturday, May 28, 4 p.m. Registration at West Picnic Grounds; route includes color dye stations and a lap around the lake.
This Week at the Fairgrounds       
Much of the Fairgrounds are shut down to prepare for the Soundset festival this Sunday, May 29. However, an appliance liquidation continues in the Education Building, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily May 27-28 and May 30-June 5.

As for Soundset: Minnesota's biggest hip-hop festival features more than 40 local and national performers, skateboard and open mic competition, and a custom car show. If you're in town this holiday weekend, here's what you need to know:
  • Attendance: Organizers expect a crowd of 35,000. That's tiny by State Fair standards, but a lot more than your typical horse show.
  • Hotline: A hotline for neighborhood inquiries will be staffed by a live human from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on Sunday, the day of the show. The hotline: 651-288-4500. The hotline will take recorded messages this Saturday and Monday.
  • Parking: Parking lots open at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. The festival provides free parking in the lots south of Como Ave. and between Larpenteur and Hoyt. No tailgating is allowed. St. Paul Police say they will step up parking enforcement on city streets between the Fairgrounds and Zoo, but no unusual parking restrictions are in effect. The City of Falcon Heights is banning festival parking from its streets on May 29.
  • Transit: Metro Transit is offering free rides for festival-goers with tickets. The festival also is offering free shuttle buses from the Green Line station at University and Snelling.
  • Hours: Admission gates open at 11 a.m. Only two Fairgrounds gates will be open: Gate 9 (off Como Ave. west of Underwood) and Gate 16 (near the West End Transit Hub). The festival ends at 9:30 p.m. There will not be fireworks.
  • Other access: Most Soundset activities happen on the western side of the Fairgrounds, but the entire Fairgrounds are closed on May 29 to anyone who does not have a festival ticket. Portions of the Fairgrounds already are closed to outside vehicle traffic.
Pick Up a Recycling Bin This Sunday
The Como Park Streetcar Station is open from noon-4 p.m. every Sunday -- including this Sunday, May 29, even though it's Memorial Day weekend. It's your best opportunity to pick up a blue recycling bin, organics composting bags, or just share comments and suggestions with a District 10 board member. The Streetcar Station is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton.
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.