Remember just playing? Neighborhood kids get that opportunity three days a week during Parent and Tot Playtime at North Dale Recreation Center. From 9 a.m.-noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, youngsters age 5 or younger get to run, ride, jump, slide, or generally just careen around the gym while parents join them -- or stay out of the way. The activity time is free. Here, 3-year-old Mikey Zampogna zips around to his heart's delight.
Safety Knows No Season
This Tuesday, Dec. 13, District 10 is teaming with Saint Paul Police, Como Park High School, and District 6 to hold a Stop for Me pedestrian safety demonstration at Dale and Maryland. This is the crosswalk where Como High student Isaac Schneider was hit and severely injured by a vehicle this May. Isaac 's robotics teammates and the school's award-winning BEASTBot expect to participate. In 2016, motorists have run into 290 pedestrians or bicyclists. Just in Saint Paul. Do the math: Someone gets hit almost every day. 

Can you join us? Contact District 10 by email. We 'll be at Maryland and Dale on Dec. 13 from 2-4 p.m. Yes, it 's supposed to be cold, but we can never stop spreading the word: State law (and common decency) require drivers to stop for pedestrians at every crosswalk. Every turn. Every time. 
Learn What Will (and Will Not) Happen
The long overdue reconstruction of Wheelock Parkway happens in our part of town next summer. This Wednesday, Dec. 14, Saint Paul Public Works leads an open information session for community members from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station. City staff will explain plans and answer questions about the project, which includes the next segment of the Saint Paul Grand Round bikeway. The road, boulevard, sidewalks, crosswalks, utilities, and more will be completely rebuilt from the Victoria/Maryland intersection on the west to Dale on the east.
Give Us Names ... 
This Monday, Dec. 12, is the deadline to submit the names of local individuals or organizations that District 10 can add to Saint Paul's Neighborhood Honor Roll.  The annual, citywide award pays tribute to residents who improve the quality of life in Saint Paul. The award typically recognizes members of our community who make a sustained and lasting impact in the neighborhood and city.
 
To nominate someone: Email us no later than Monday Dec. 12. Give us a short description of their accomplishments or the reasons they should be honored for making Como a better place to live, work, or play. The District 10 Board will evaluate nominees at our Dec. 20 meeting. See our website for a list of previous honor roll recipients from District 10.
D10 Logo PNG ... We Want Names
This Thursday, Dec. 15, is the deadline to get on the ballot as a candidate for an At-Large vacancy on the District 10 Como Community Council. The special election to fill the seat is Tuesday Dec. 20 at 7 p.m., before the monthly board meeting.

The position is open to anyone who lives in District 10.  The elected candidate will serve until April 2017. Any District 10 resident at least 18 years of age is eligible to run; so are representatives from businesses or institutions in the neighborhood.  For an  overview of board member expectations and responsibilities , see our website.  To submit your name or to find out more, contact the District 10 office at 651-644-3889, or by email . 
If You're Shopping Amazon, Think of Us
You can now donate 0.5 percent of your online Amazon purchases to the District 10 Como Community Council -- if you make your purchases through the AmazonSmile program, instead of through the regular Amazon website. This is the link to get your started.
Photo: Scherer Photography
A Feast for the Eyes (and Other Senses)
One of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory's oldest traditions is back. The Holiday Flower Show is now open daily from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Jan. 2. The show features more than 100 varieties of plants, including a rainbow of poinsettias, tropical Hibiscus, Rosemary trees, and philodendron. As usual, admission is free (or a freewill donation).
'There Was No Room for Them in the Inn'
Bethel Lutheran Church stages a family-friendly, live Nativity scene this Saturday, Dec. 10, from 6-8 p.m. The  10-minute, outdoor show runs every half hour. The church, at Wheelock Parkway and Maywood St., invites the entire community to the free event. (Freewill donations will be accepted, and a "Bethlehem marketplace" of vendors will be available indoors.)
A Chance for Newcomers to Nosh
Are you new to the neighborhood, or to the Twin Cities? Then you're invited to MSP Hello's holiday party. The get-together is this Sunday, Dec. 11, from
5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Food Building (that's really what it's called), 1401 Marshall St. NE (that's the Marshall St. in Nordeast Minneapolis, not the Marshall St. in Saint Paul). There's a cash bar; free local meats, cheeses and bakery; and residents new and old to hang out with. Make your reservation here
Photo: Jim Corwin
Go Now: You Won't Get Another Chance
Great River School's student production of the Tony-Award-winning musical "Urinetown" runs this weekend, through Sunday Dec. 11. PR blurbs call it -- take a breath -- an uproarious "satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics, and musical theatre itself." Shows are at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10; and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11. Staging is at the Wellstone Center, 179 Robie St. E, on Saint Paul 's West Side. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students.
Kids Can Learn for Less
The Como Park Snowsports Booster Club is offering youth scholarships for lessons in  snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing. The scholarships are available for one-day introductory clinics on Dec. 28, 29 or 30; or for a week of lessons during the first week of January.
To qualify, youth must live in Saint Paul and qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch. They can apply for the scholarship when they register for the lesson of their choice.
Libraries Expand Online Access
Live in Saint Paul but  don't have a Saint Paul Library card? You now can register online to access electronic library resources such as e-books, music downloads, digital magazines, and online tutorials. The e-card cannot be used to place holds or to check out physical items from the library. (If you already have a library card, no sweat: You already have access to online resources.)
Multitask Your Holiday Enjoyment
Lyngblomsten's Second Sunday Concert features more than holiday carols -- it also shares " The History of the Christmas Tree." OboeBass! (from the MacPhail Center for Music) leads the free program this Sunday, Dec. 11, from 2-3 p.m. at Lyngblomsten, 1415 Almond Ave. The entire community is welcome. 
Watching Our Waste: Gadgets
Como Zoo recycles cell phones and other small electronic devices, then donates the proceeds to help preserve habitat for orangutans. The Zoo's recycling box is at the visitors' desk, near the main entrance. You can drop off these devices: 
  • Cell phones and accessories
  • iPods and other MP3 players
  • Handheld game systems and GPS units
  • E-readers
  • Laptops
  • Portable hard drives
  • Ink-jet cartridges
City Wants Feedback on Permit Parking
Live west of the Zoo? Then you definitely want to weigh in as the City of Saint Paul reviews its permit parking system. A survey is collecting opinions on how well the system works and what could be improved. The deadline is Dec. 31.
Photo: Can Stock
Planetarium's Winter Shows Vanish Soon
You 're running out of time to soak in Como Planetarium's December shows. "One World, One Sky" runs this Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 5:30-6:30 p.m; "Stars and Snowflakes" runs 7-8 p.m.  The shows repeat on Dec. 20. The annual "Season of Light" returns for one day only -- this Thursday, Dec. 15 -- with shows at 6 and 7 p.m. Admission for any show is $5. The planetarium is inside Como Elementary School, 780 W. Wheelock Parkway. 
Get Over Your Social Anxiety
Como Dockside's Thursday night movie series continues Dec. 15 with "Flight of the Navigator" (rated PG). Trivia begins at 6:15 p.m.; the free screening of the movie begins at 6:45 in the third-level banquet hall of the lakeside pavilion. For the full season schedule of "almost all the greatest movies of 1986 and 1987," see Dockside's online calendar.  

Don't forget: Every Wednesday, it 's "neighborhood night, " with happy hour drink and food specials from 3-9 p.m., and classic board games galore. And -- Saturday brunch includes a free Louisiana-flavored concert from noon-2 p.m. This week, Dec. 10, it's the Cajun Cats on the bandstand. 
Did You Know This is Happening?
  • Through New Year's Day: Holiday Lights in the Park, 5-10 p.m. Phalen Park, Wheelock and Johnson Parkways. Admission: $10 per car (more for vans, limos, and buses). Discount tickets are available online. Proceeds benefit the Saint Paul Police Foundation.
  • This Monday, Dec. 12: Choir Pops Concert, 7 p.m., Como Park Senior High School, 740 W. Rose.   
  • This Tuesday, Dec. 13: Update on Saint Paul's Open for Business initiative, 2:30-3:30 p.m. East Side Enterprise Center, 804 Margaret St. RSVP to the Ward 7 office  
  • This Thursday, Dec. 15: Winter Choir Concert , 7:30 p.m., Great River School, 1326 Energy Park Drive. Free
  • Next Sunday, Dec. 18: Sing-along Messiah , 3-5 p.m., followed by a community dinner from 5-7 p.m., Como Park Lutheran Church.
Fire Safety Tip of the Week
A recent fire in a Hamline Ave. apartment holds a couple of safety lessons, Saint Paul firefighters say. 
  • One, the value of portable fire extinguishers. The resident extinguished the fire himself, although not before it caused more than $5,000 in damage. 
  • Two, never put anything on a stove top if you are not cooking and standing watch. The resident told firefighters he put a bag of dog food on his stove. Apparently, his dog tried to get to the food -- and turned on a burner knob while doing so. 
  • Three, install stove knob covers. They are an easy, inexpensive way to prevent children (or pets) from turning on a burner and starting fires like this.  
The Latest Crime Report for Our Neighborhood. Regular readers will notice that this week's report, for the first time, includes dozens of items called "proactive police visits." These are not crimes. These are "positive police-community interactions" initiated by officers, according to Sgt. Stephanie Bailey. The message, apparently: These kinds of activities occur much more frequently than we're aware of. Until now. 
This Week at the Fairgrounds 
  • Junior Olympics Gymnastics State Championships: Today-Sunday, Dec. 9-11, Warner Coliseum. 1-10:30 p.m. today, Friday Dec. 9; 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Dec. 10-11. Admission: $5-$15 depending on age. 
We're Out
District 10 ' s supply of blue recycling bins is exhausted. Forever. The bins will become obsolete next month when Saint Paul and Eureka Recycling switch to larger, wheeled carts. Residents are welcome to keep their current bins. But if you are new to the neighborhood, or your bin has bitten the dust, unfortunately we can't get you a new bin to tide you over. If you are desperate, try Eureka Recycling directly: 651-222-7678.
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.