Hitting the jackpot: Patty Howser hauls away a basketball hoop during the Como Neighborhood Garage Sale. Residents held 47 sales simultaneously on May 14.
Share Some Beauty This Saturday
The Como Seed and Seedling Share is this Saturday, May 21, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station. The guest speaker at the free event is Cris Cantin, who is steward of the Hay River Seed Library in Wisconsin. She will speak at 11 a.m. on "The Seed Saver's Garden," answer questions afterward, then hold a drawing for a "Sowing and Saving" kit with heirloom tomato seeds. Seed swapping itself takes place from noon-2 p.m.

Organizers Alison Goetzman and Dawn Lamm encourage neighbors to share excess seeds, seedlings, and perennial divisions -- and add new variety to their yard, patio or window sill. The exchange is also an opportunity to share advice and gardening stories with neighbors -- whether you've been gardening for years or are just getting started. For more information, email the organizers or look up them up on Facebook.
Doing More for Our Neighborhood
Congratulations to Tim Post, who is the new secretary of the District 10 board, and to Mike Ireland, who is a new representative from Sub-District 3. Community members elected them on May 17 to fill vacant positions on our board.

Also at the May 17 meeting, the board appointed the following community members to represent District 10 on two committees dealing with Como Park issues.
  • Maggie Zimmerman was appointed to the Como Dockside Community Input Committee. This group is evaluating Como Dockside's performance as part of the restaurant's contract with the city. Committee members will develop surveys and other ways of assessing quality, customer service, community access, and other measurements.
  • Richard Herriges and Jenny Larson were appointed as District 10's representatives on the Como Regional Park Advisory Committee. This committee keeps track of what's going on with traffic, parking, and other projects in the park, and makes recommendations to the city's Parks Commission. District 10's representatives will be the point people who 1) keep the neighborhood informed on park plans, 2) explain how those plans could impact those of us who live here, and 3) convey our advice to Parks leadership.
Rent? Lease? You Could Use This
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 on 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.
Map: St. Paul Almanac
What If You Could Build a Block Club?
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. 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.
 
If You're Shopping Amazon Anyway
You can now automatically donate 0.5 percent of your online Amazon purchases to the District 10 Como Community Council. You simply make your purchases through the AmazonSmile page, instead of through the regular Amazon website. This is the link to get your started.
Local Schools Have Fun with Fund-Raising
Chelsea Heights borrows a principle from the St. Paul Saints and urges you to "vote for fun" this election year at the elementary school's Spring Carnival. The carnival is this Friday, May 20, from 5-8 p.m. at the school, 1557 Huron. It includes games, prizes, food trucks, raffles, inflatables, a climbing wall, and other activities for as little as 50 cents each. Questions? Contact the Carnival Committee by email.

This Saturday, May 21, Great River School holds its Spring Festival from 2-5 p.m. at the school, 1326 Energy Park Drive. Great River's event includes food, an art exhibit, and outdoor carnival games (including a faculty dunk tank). At 2:30 p.m., an indoor concert features students featuring one-hit wonders. Concert tickets are $10; other prices vary.

Coming up: Como Park Elementary School holds its Carnival on Friday June 3 from 5-7:30 p.m.
More Info About the Soundset Festival       
Minnesota's biggest hip-hop music festival, Soundset, makes its debut at the State Fairgrounds on Sunday May 29. The one-day festival features more than 40 local and national performers, including The Roots (from the "Tonight" show), Atmosphere, Common, Doomtree, and Lizzo. The festival includes skateboard and open mic competition, and a custom car show. Here's what nearby residents need to know:
  • Organizers expect a crowd of 35,000.
  • A hotline for neighborhood inquiries will be staffed from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on the day of the show. The hotline: 651-288-4500. The hotline will take recorded messages on May 28 and May 30.
  • Parking lots open at 7:30 a.m. The festival is offering free parking in the lots south of Como Ave. and between Larpenteur and Hoyt. No tailgating will be allowed.
  • Metro Transit is offering free rides to festival-goers with tickets.
  • Admission gates open at 11 a.m. Only two Fairgrounds admission gates will be open the day of the festival: Gate 9 (off Como Ave. west of Underwood) and Gate 16 (near the West End Transit Hub).
  • The festival runs until 9:30 p.m.
  • The Fairgrounds are closed May 29 to anyone without a festival ticket.
Soundset, now in its ninth year, was created by Minneapolis-based Rhymesayers Entertainment. It has expanded from a Minneapolis warehouse to First Ave., to the Metrodome parking lot and, most recently, Canterbury Park.
 
Ready to Pull Some Strings?
Twin Cities German Immersion School welcomes Open Eye Theatre's Driveway Tour on Tuesday May 30 with a free puppet show, "Molly and the Magic Boot." When Molly spends a week at her Grandma's farm, she can't believe what happens when she starts picking flowers. The entire community is invited to  the show, which begins at 7 p.m. on the school's playground, 1031 Como Ave.
Who Doesn't Need a Bigger Kitchen?
A public hearing takes place Monday June 6 on a request for a zoning variance to allow a kitchen addition to be built on the home at 1358 Almond Ave. Jeremiah and Tamara Mans are seeking a 6-inch variance on the setback required from the east property line. The Board of Zoning Appeals will hold the hearing at 3 p.m. June 6 in Room 330 of City Hall, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd. Written comments for or against can be sent to Yaya Diatta by email or by mail c/o Department of Safety and Inspections, 375 Jackson St. Suite 220, Saint Paul, MN 55101.
Things We've Learned Along the Way
If you're composting food scraps and other materials through one of Ramsey County's organic sites, you cannot drop off freezer or refrigerator boxes. These boxes generally contain coatings or plastic liners, which prevent them from fully breaking down, even in large-scale composting. You can't recycle them through St. Paul's curbside recycling, either. Lists of what you can and cannot compost are posted on the County's organic waste website.
Pick Up a Recycling Bin This Sunday
The Como Park Streetcar Station is open from noon-4 p.m. every Sunday between now and the end of September. It's your best opportunity to pick up a blue recycling bin, organics composting bag, or just share comments and suggestions with a District 10 board member. The Streetcar Station is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton.
If You Need to Say Something       
  • This Monday, May 23. Como Community Gardeners meet from 6-7 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton.
  • This Wednesday, May 25: District 10's Environment Committee. 7-8:30 p.m., Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Community members are always welcome to attend.
  • Next Friday May 27: Public hearing on Saint Paul Street Design Manual and Complete Streets Action Plan. 8:30 a.m., City Hall Room 40, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 bus service begins on Snelling Ave.
  • Tuesday Aug. 2: National Night Out
If You're Trying to Get Somewhere
  • 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.
  • Highway 280: Closed between Broadway and Interstate 35W. Single lane between Broadway and Como. Southbound ramps at Larpenteur closed. Northbound ramp from Como Ave. closed.
  • Interstate 35E: Ongoing work continues, with 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 cut, and resurfacing work between Snelling and Oxford continues into 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.
Crime Prevention Tip of the Week
Never let a stranger or unexpected visitor into your house. Residents in other parts of the city report being visited by someone claiming to be from their alarm company, selling vacuum cleaners, or using home repair projects as an excuse to gain entry. The most frequent description is of a man in his 20s or 30s who drives a black 4-door Dodge Charger with tinted windows and all-black wheels and rims.

As always, whenever you see or experience unusual or suspicious activity, call 911 immediately. Let police determine if the activity is legitimate or not.

The Latest Crime Report for Our Neighborhood
(In the past week, D10 had the fewest reported crimes in the city -- let's keep it that way!)   
National Tap Dance Day invites us to make music with our feet.
If You Wonder What You're Hearing
This week's Music in the Parks schedule at the Como Dockside Pavilion is coming at us from all directions:
  • Tonight, May 20: The Textiles, 7-9 p.m.
  • This Saturday, May 21: Silver Lake Symphonic Winds, 7-9 p.m.
  • This Sunday, May 22: National Tap Dance Day Celebration, 3-5 p.m.; Drew Peterson and Daryn Christenson, 7-9 p.m.
  • This Monday, May 23: Southside Big Band, 7-9 p.m.
  • This Tuesday, May 24: South High Community Band, 7-9 p.m.
  • This Wednesday, May 25: Northeast Community Band, 7-9 p.m.
  • This Thursday, May 26: Minneapolis Police Band, 7-9 p.m.
  • Next Friday, May 27: North County Bandits, 7-9 p.m.
All presentations are free. For the entire summer lineup, go to the Calendar section at Dockside's website.
This Weekend in the Park
  • This Saturday, May 21: TC Kids Cross Country Fun Run. Registration opens at 8 a.m., races begin at 9 a.m. from the East Picnic Grounds. Races of half-mile, 1 mile, 2 miles, and 5K. Race-day registration is $16. Shuttle buses run from Como Park Elementary School between 8:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. In case you're not worn out, the races rub elbows with a Norwegian festival celebrating Syttende Mai.
This Week at the Fairgrounds
  • Appliance Liquidation: Begins today, Education Building. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily May 20-May 28 and May 30-June 5.
Accumulating Too Much Junk?
St. Paul has scheduled four cleanup days where residents can dispose of the stuff they can't put in the trash: appliances, furniture, tires, demolition materials, and more. City residents may go to any or all of the drop-off sites.  Look for fees and other details in the mail later this month.  
  • June 11: Washington Technology Magnet High School, 1495 Rice St.
  • June 25: Harding High School, 1540 E. 6th St.
  • Sept. 24: Shepard Road (between Davern and Alton)
  • Oct. 8: Fairgrounds
In addition, there will be an electronics drop-off event on Saturday June 18 at Dunning Field.  
Get a Composting Bin Dirt Cheap
It's the last chance for Ramsey County residents to get $20 off a basic backyard composting bin -- which means you'll pay only $39 for a 10-cubic-foot bin. Orders placed now can be picked up Saturday June 11 at WestRock in Saint Paul. 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.
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.