Heavy duty: Six-year-old Hosea Eagy tries on SWAT gear during the Safe Summer Nights cookout at North Dale Recreation Center. Behind him is a Bearcat armored truck, which Saint Paul Police say they use as "a vehicle of last resort."
Meet Your Neighbors this Sunday!
District 10 hosts the first "neighborhood social" in South Como this Sunday, June 4. Hang out with more neighbors than will fit at your house. Feast on food trucks, including La Tapatia, Cravin' Pie, Mik Mart Ice Cream, and Deb's HotDogs. Plus, we'll have face painting, a DJ, and plenty of activities for the kids to burn off energy. There's no admission fee; the happiness takes place June 4 from 4-7 p.m. at Orchard Park, 875 W. Orchard.
Don't Go to the Fairgrounds on Saturday
The City of Saint Paul's flier about 2017 Citywide Drop Off Events is wrong. There is no event at the State Fairgrounds this Saturday, June 3. That date in the flier is incorrect.
The June 3 event is at Harding High School, 1540 E. 6th St., from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
The correct date for the State Fairgrounds event is Oct. 7.
Other drop-off events for household junk are June 24 at Washington Tech Magnet School and Sept. 24 on Shepard Road near Davern. Any Saint Paul resident is able to go to any of the events to dispose of things you can't put in the trash. Go online for details on what items are accepted, and what they'll cost you.
We've Got Plenty to Talk About
District 10
's Land Use Committee meets this Wednesday, June 7, with a full
agenda. Items to be discussed include:
Rail safety legislation
The annual sound variance for the Hmong Freedom Celebration at McMurray Field
The liquor license application for Delicata Pizza and Gelato, scheduled to open in the former Java Train / Como Park Grille space at 1342 Pascal
State Fair overlay zoning districts
Ongoing discussions about traffic, parking, noise, and other issues regarding the Twin Cities German Immersion School
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. June 7 at the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Community members are always welcome to attend and participate.
Neighborhood Committee Meets Tuesday
District 10's Neighborhood Relations Committee meets this Tuesday, June 6.
Items to be discussed include:
Implementation of a pedestrian safety flag program in District 10
A proposal seeking stop signs and a marked crosswalk on Van Slyke and Como Ave.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. June 6 at the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Community members are always welcome to attend and participate.
Smoke Tests Begin on Sewer Lines
Saint Paul Public Works starts smoke testing of sanitary sewers in District 10 this Monday, June 5. Tests are being done roughly east of Victoria and north of Maryland. Residents are supposed to receive a door hangar two-three days before their block is tested, then receive an automated phone call one-two days beforehand.
The tests find
leaks in sewer lines. The testing means it will be common to see simulated smoke pouring from manhole covers, storm drains, roof vents, and building foundations. The simulated smoke will not enter buildings that are properly plumbed and whose fixture traps contain water. If smoke does enter your building, open your doors and windows, and call the sewer safety testing crew at 651-238-0572. The smoke can be irritating, but is not harmful.
Watching Our Waste: Hazardous Materials
Ramsey County is making it easier to dispose of household hazardous waste by setting up a neighborhood collection site this month. If you've got items labeled "Caution," "Warning," "Danger" or "Poison," they don't belong in your trash.
Instead, every Friday and Saturday in June, you can dispose of them safely -- for free. Among items they'll take: antifreeze, motor oil, and gasoline; batteries of all kinds; insect repellent and weed killers; paint and household cleaners; empty propane tanks; old cell phones; mercury thermometers; and fluorescent lights. Get the whole list online.
The collection site is on Kent St., just north of Larpenteur and just east of Dale. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays.
Out Past Curfew
The Como Booster Club is sponsoring an all-night senior graduation party this Tuesday, June 6, at the high school. So if you see some very happy youngsters hanging out, that's why.
Free fitness activities take place weekly in Como Park.
Get Fit for Free
Fitness in the Parks, a summer-long program of free
outdoor fitness classes in Saint Paul Parks, begins this week. Classes in Como Park include:
Mondays: Capture the Flag, 8-11 p.m., athletic fields near Como Ave. and Midway Parkway
Tuesdays: Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul, 8 a.m., near the Lakeside Pavilion
Tuesdays: Walk with a Trainer, 9:15 a.m., near the Lakeside Pavilion
Tuesdays: Total Body Fitness, 11 a.m., near the Lakeside Pavilion
Wednesdays: Tai Chi Chih, 8:30 a.m., near the Schiffman Fountain
Thursdays: Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul, 8 a.m., near the Lakeside Pavilion
Thursdays: Walk with a Trainer, 9:15 a.m., near the Lakeside Pavilion
Thursdays: Total Body Fitness, 11 a.m., near the Lakeside Pavilion
Thursdays: Capture the Flag, 6-9 p.m., athletic fields near Como Ave. and Midway Parkway
Then bring a child, age 6-11, to "
Bugs' Night Out" on Tuesday June 13. 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. The event is free, but you
've got to reserve your spot; contact Lindsay at the Capitol Region Watershed District
by email or by phone at 651-644-8888. Meet at dock behind the Pavilion at 6 p.m. June 13. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Teens: Turn Your Ideas into Reality
The Youth Engagement Program at Como Zoo and Conservatory wants to help high school-age students identify unique conservation needs in their community, then develop projects that
inspire others to take action.
The program helps teams of 3-5 students in grades 9-12 make a conservation-based project happen.
Program participants receive financial and project support and mentorship, take field trips to destinations that support conservation and sustainable practices, learn about global and local conservation programs, and join monthly meet-ups with fellow youth who share a passion to create change. The application deadline is Friday June 30; full details are available online.
Rondo Library Takes Summer Vacation
The Rondo Community Library at Dale and University is closed until fall for renovations.
Go online for information about where programs and services take place instead.
Borrow portable recycling stands like these for free.
We Can Help with Your Party
District 10 has street barricades and portable recycling containers that community members can use for block parties, neighborhood, or family events. You can borrow the recycling containers for free; there are two kinds:
For cans, bottles and other items you can include in your weekly recycling.
For food scraps and other compostable organics.
The street barricades are required by the city when you block off your street or alley -- but ours are a more-affordable option than getting them from Public Works.
Barricades require a $50 deposit. We return $45 when you return the barricades.
Reservations are first-come, first-served.
To borrow our barricades, you must have an event permit from the city.
To reserve any of this equipment, call our office at 651-644-3889, or send us an email.
Ramp from Snelling to Como Closes
As construction on Snelling Ave. progresses, the southbound ramp to Como Ave. is now closed until June 13. The rest of the mess remains pretty much the same: Only one lane is open in each direction between Como north to County Road B. Access at cross streets may be restricted on any given day. And Larpenteur is down to one lane in each direction at Snelling. Meanwhile:
Como Ave.: Only one lane is open in each direction from Raymond west to Commonwealth. Also, there is no access on the north at Cleveland.
Raymond Ave.: Through the end of June, the street remains closed completely from Standish south to Energy Park; there is limited access from Como south to Standish.
Looking Ahead
Tonight, Friday June 2: Como Elementary Carnival, 5-7:30 p.m. 780 W. Wheelock Parkway.
Monday June 5: Public hearing on projects proposed under Saint Paul's 2017 Capital Improvements Budget, 6 p.m. City Hall Room 40, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd. (Among the few specific project recommended in District 10: Replacement street lights on Como Ave. between Dale and the park, and upgraded traffic signals at Snelling and Hoyt and Snelling and Midway Parkway -- in 2019.)
Wednesday, June 21: Public hearing on a sound level variance for the Hmong Freedom Celebration, 5:30 p.m. Third-floor City Council chambers, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
Friday-Sunday June 23-25: MSRA Back to the 50s Car Show, State Fairgrounds (and streets everywhere).
Friday June 30: Saint Paul Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the Ford Site Master Plan, which has folks in Highland lining up against each other. You can submit comments ahead of time on the web or by email.
Saturday-Sunday July 1-2: 37th annual Hmong Freedom Celebration and Sports Festival, McMurray Fields.
Sunday July 9: Color Run, State Fairgrounds.
Michael J. Fox takes skateboarding to a new dimension in "Back to the Future 2."
Movie or Music: You Can Have It All
Heat or cold, the free outdoor music continues under cover on the promenade of the Lakeside Pavilion, 1360 Lexington Parkway N. This week's lineup:
Today, Friday June 2: Capital City Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 4, QMC (Queer Music Consortium), 3 p.m.; Calhoun Isles Band, 7 p.m.
The Sequel: Dockside's outdoors Movies By the Lake continues this Saturday, June 3, with a free showing of "Back to the Future 2" (PG). The lights go down on the promenade at 9:15 p.m.
What's Happening in the Park?
Saturday June 3: Model Cities Run/Bike/Walk, 9 a.m., Lakeside Pavilion. Registration, $10 per person, with family and group discounts.
Appliance Liquidation Event: Concludes this Sunday, June 4, Education Building. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
Machinery Hills Criterium du Nord Race Series: This Tuesday, June 6, roadways north of Hoyt Ave. 4-9 p.m. Bicycle road race training series; four races (beginners-experts). Entry fees: $10-$25.
North Central Reining Extravaganza Horse Show: Through this Sunday, June 4, Warner Coliseum. 8 a.m. daily. Admission free for spectators.
International Gem and Jewelry Show: Through this Sunday, June 4, Progress Center. Noon-6 p.m. today, Friday June 2; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $8 (good for all three days; children 8 or younger not allowed).
Minneapolis-St. Paul Mini Maker Faire: This Saturday, June 3, Grandstand. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission: $20 adults; $15 adults 65 or older; $10 youth ages 6-17; free for children 5 or younger.
General Motors Car Club of America Show and Swap Meet: This Sunday, June 4, parking lots south of Hoyt. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission: $5 teens and adults; free children 12 or younger.
Stamp and Scrapbook Expo: Next Friday-Saturday, June 9-10, Education Building. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 9; 9 a.m-5 p.m. June 10. Admission: $10 teens and adults; free for children 12 or younger. Online discounts available through June 7.
Also, we'll be able to see (but won't be able to get into) a private Airstream Club camping event from this Saturday, June 4, through next Sunday, June 11.
Fire Check-Up Makes Your Home Safer
St. Paul homeowners can sign up for Project Safe Haven, in which the St. Paul fire department will do a free fire safety inspection of your home, help you plan a family escape plan, and install smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and stovetop fire suppressors as necessary. Did we mention it's all free? Find out more online, or simply enroll by calling 651-228-6237.
The Como Park Streetcar Station is now open every Sunday through September from noon-4 p.m. Stop in to learn a bit about the history of Como Park, admire the new paint job or waxed floor inside, pick up an organics recycling starter kit (including a plastic kitchen bin), or just share comments and suggestions with a District 10 board member who's on staff that day. 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.
Know someone else who is interested in what's going on in our neighborhood?
