Terry Marek, of Bourget Imports, explains the samples of wine he's pouring during the annual Bouquets fundraiser for Como Friends.
D10 Board Opposes Longer Patio Hours
The Como Community Council board voted Feb. 21 to oppose a request from Gabe's by the Park to expand patio hours outside the restaurant at 991 Lexington. The new owners of Gabe's, as part of their liquor license application, want to keep the patio open until 12:30 a.m. daily, and to install speakers on the patio. The current liquor license forbids outdoor music and requires the patio (which is on the Lexington side of the business) to close by 11 p.m. The District 10 board voted to oppose any changes after hearing from nearby residents who say loud patrons and current patio hours already are too disruptive. The Saint Paul City Council will make the final decision on which conditions are allowed under the liquor license.
D10 Supports Sholom Home Request
The District 10 board voted this week to support the request by developers of Como Park Senior Living for $18 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds through the City of Saint Paul. The bonds would provide about half the funding to redevelop the former Sholom Home property, 1554 Midway Parkway. The new owners hope to convert it into 168 units of assisted living and memory care apartments, most of which would classify as "affordable" housing for seniors. The bond request now enters a competitive process before the city's Housing Redevelopment Authority.
Lane configurations on Lexington are one issue we want your opinion on.
What Can We Do with Lexington?
Are you happy with the speed limit, crosswalks, lane configurations, signs, or bicycle and pedestrian paths along Lexington Parkway? District 10 wants to know
what you think about 10 specific locations and ideas. Nearly 500 neighbors already have shared their opinions. Have you?
Take our survey
Land Use Committee Meets Monday
The District 10 Land Use Committee
will discuss the vacant building
at 1062 Front that has been declared a nuisance property, and the land for sale at Como, Front and Dale. The committee meets this Monday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. As always,
all community members are welcome to attend and participate.
Hey, Photographers, Share Your Shots
We know plenty of you are out there
photographing the people and places that make our neighborhood unique. Well, we'd like to circulate
what you see far and wide.
Every week, this newsletter will highlight the best of what local photographers send us about life in Como Park. So,
send us your top image from the past seven days or so. If you
've got questions,
email us or call us at 651-644-3889.
Good News for Trees (Maybe Not for Golfers)
The record-setting warmth this month means
175 ash trees on the Como Park golf course will
not be cut down this year. Because the ground isn
't frozen any more, heavy equipment could cause too much damage to the course, parks officials say. So, the new plan is to cut down the ash trees next winter.
Thoughts of Summer. And Gardens.
The volunteers who run the
Como Community Seed Library are planning for the 2017 season and want your advice about what they should focus on.
Take their survey to let them know the topics and types of events that are a priority for you.
Thoughts of Summer. And Jobs
This Tuesday, Feb. 28, is the last day for teens and young adults (ages 14-21) to apply for
summer internships through Saint Paul
's Right Track program. The jobs pay at least $9.50 an hour, average 15 hours per week, and run 6-9 weeks, beginning on June 20.
With winter weather being back to normal, summer road construction is likely the last thing on your mind. But MnDOT, Ramsey County, and the City of Saint Paul all have their plans sketched out. Among projects likely to impact travel in and around our neighborhood in a few months:
Como Ave. will be resurfaced from Dale east to Marion, and from Raymond west to Commonwealth.
Energy Park Drive will be resurfaced east of Raymond.
Interstate 94: Resurfacing will resume from downtown Saint Paul east to Maplewood.
Interstate 694: Reconstruction will resume from Lexington east to Rice.
Larpenteur Ave. will have new turn lanes installed at Snelling.
Minnehaha Ave. will be resurfaced between Como and Arundel and between Dale and the intersection at Pierce Butler Route.
Pierce Butler Route will be resurfaced between Minnehaha and Snelling.
Raymond Ave. will be rebuilt north of Energy Park Drive.
Rice St. will be reconstructed from Pennsylvania north to Sycamore.
Snelling Ave. and County Road B2 will undergo signal and lane reconfigurations.
Wheelock Parkway will be reconstructed from Victoria/Maryland east to Maywood or Dale.
Photo: Kristal Leebrick
Murray Goes Down the Rabbit Hole
Murray Middle School's live production of "Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr." debuts next weekend, March 3-5. Students (many of whom live in District 10) not only steal the show onstage; they also created the majority of the sets, props, and costumes for the madcap musical.
Shows are next Friday-Saturday, March 3-4, at 7 p.m., and next Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door ($5 for children ages 5-11). Or,
buy them online in advance for only $8 ($4 for children ages 5-11).
The school is at 2200 Buford Ave. in Saint Anthony Park.
Watching Our Waste: Purchasing Power
Eureka Recycling
's
Zero Waste Buying Co-Op is now open. It
's a way to get discount pricing on 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper and BPI-certified compostable products. Compostable products -- if you recycle them through District 10
's
organics drop-off site in Como Park -- can drastically cut down on waste from upcoming graduation parties and summer picnics and events. Items include plates, bowls, utensils, napkins, hot and cold cups, and even lids and straws. Plus, you can order compostable bags to put them all in.
Paper must be ordered by March 9; compostables can be ordered until April 6. Orders can be picked up in late April. All the details are available online.
Getting It Out in the Open
Como Park Lutheran Church begins a six-week series,
"And Who is My Neighbor?
", this Thursday, March 2. The
weekly discussions will explore
"what it means to be who we are in an increasingly diverse world." Topics include diversity, entitlement, privilege, identity, belonging, and oppression. The free sessions are March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and April 6 at 7 p.m. the church, 1376 W. Hoyt.
There's never been a dentist like Steve Martin in "Little Shop of Horrors."
Funny? Scary? Both? Neither?
During the heydays of "Saturday Night Live" and "Second City TV," someone let the casts work together. The result is "Little Shop of Horrors" (rated PG-13). The remake of the 1960 black comedy is Como Dockside's Thursday night movie on March 2. Trivia begins at 6:15 p.m.; the free movie begins at 6:45 in the third-level banquet hall of the lakeside pavilion. For the revised, full-season schedule, see Dockside's online calendar.
Don't forget:This Saturday, Feb. 25, at 3 and 6 p.m., it's Dockside's Annual Mardi Gras Seafood Boil, featuring an all-you-can-eat feast, libations, and the Emperors of Jazz. Tickets are $40. Also, Saturday brunch includes a free Louisiana-flavored concert from noon-2 p.m. This week, Feb. 25, it's Daddy Squeeze and Elizabeth. Finally, every Wednesday is "neighborhood night" at Dockside, with happy hour drink and food specials from 3-9 p.m., and classic board games waiting to be busted open.
Planning Ahead
This Saturday, Feb. 25: Ramsey County Fix-It Clinic, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Shoreview Library, 4560 N. Victoria. Free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Wednesday March 8: Lyngblomsten "2nd Half Sampler," 3-6 p.m. Lower-level community room, 1415 Almond Ave. Free
Thursday March 9: Deadline to nominate someone (even yourself!) for a 2017 Sustainable Saint Paul Award. The awards are available to individuals, businesses, or organizations in more than a dozen categories.
Sunday March 19: District 10's Sunday Series presents "Como Woodland Outdoor Classroom: Past, Present, Future." 1-2:30 p.m., upstairs at the Visitors Center at Como Zoo and Conservatory. Free
Wednesday March 22: Financial Literacy Workshop: "Take the Fast Lane to Debt Freedom," 6-7:30 p.m. Como Park Streetcar Station. Hosted by District 10; presented by TopLine Federal Credit Union. Free, but reservations are required; call 763-391-9494.
Sunday April 2: District 10's Sunday Series presents "The Fate of the Monarch Butterfly." 1-2:30 p.m., Great River School, 1326 Energy Park Drive. Free
Get Free Help with Your Taxes
Seniors and local residents with low income and who have straight-forward income taxes can get free assistance in filing their federal and state returns through AARP and Lyngblomsten. The assistance is available every Tuesday and Thursday now through April 13, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the lower level community room at Lyngblomsten, 1415 Almond Ave. Appointments are required; call 651-999-2499 to schedule a time and find out what you need to bring to make the session productive.
Or, use the state's searchable online database to find other free tax preparation that might fit into your schedule.
When in Doubt, Call
Not sure if you should call 911? Saint Paul Police urge you to call -- immediately -- whenever you think a circumstance is
suspicious. If in doubt, they say, call! It
's better to err on the side of safety than not to call or to call too late. Here are examples of when you should call:
Someone you don't recognize is loitering in your neighborhood
Someone is loitering around cars, peering into cars, or checking car doors
Someone clearly needs police, fire, or medical assistance
You hear glass breaking or an alarm going off
Someone is conducting what appears to be a business transaction from a vehicle
Someone is hanging around a neighbor's yard, looking into windows, or trying to opens doors or windows of the house or garage
You see someone with a weapon
An abandoned vehicle is parked in your neighborhood
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.
Know someone else who is interested in what's going on in our neighborhood?
