Marvelous night for a moondance: Nearly 750 people, many of them clearly on a nostalgia trip, partied under the full moon July 8 at Como Dockside. The retro concert featured the Belfast Cowboys' tribute to Van Morrison and Big Pink's re-enactment of "The Last Waltz," the movie commemorating the final concert by The Band.
Two Words: Ice Cream
District 10's annual Ice Cream Social is tonight, Friday July 14, from 5:30-8 p.m. in and around and Como Park Streetcar Station. We'll have:
Free ice cream (courtesy of the Humphrey Job Corps Center)
Scrumptious toppings (courtesy of Mission Orthodox Presbyterian Church)
Lawn games (courtesy of D10 board members)
Music (courtesy of Paul Seeba)
Amusing activities (courtesy of The Bubble Baron and face-painter Jens Werner)
The best neighbors in the city (courtesy of you)
We also expect a Saint Paul fire truck, the Saint Paul Police bike squad, and more than a half-dozen neighborhood organizations sharing information. The Ice Cream Social runs 5:30-8 p.m. July 14 in and around the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Parking is limited, so don't hesitate to carpool, walk, or bike (we'll have extra racks available).
There's More to Life than Ice Cream
We have to admit, we didn't plan it this way, but... the Classical Actors Ensemble presents a free outdoor performance of Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" tonight, Friday July 14, from 7-8:30 p.m. outside the Streetcar Station. The more the merrier!
Illustration by Erik Pearson
ComoFest's Opening Weekend
The Ice Cream Social kicks off ComoFest 2017, but two more free events take place this Saturday, July 15:
The ComoFest Art Fair runs 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion. Three dozen local artists have all kinds of creative and practical art and crafts for sale. (Download a PDF directory of artists and what they're displaying.) There's free music from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. And Studio M Fitness offers a free yoga class at noon. (Walk-ins are welcome to the class, but please bring your own mat if you have one.)
Saturday night, Beloved Studios holds a Summer Party, complete with food, art, music from Union Junction, and an open house at the art and tattoo studio. Activities run 6-9 p.m. July 15 in the parking lot outside 1563 Como Ave.
North Dale's Movie Night features 'Sing.'
The Fun Keeps Coming
ComoFest continues next weekend:
Lyngblomsten holds its MidSummer Festival -- a daylong extravaganza featuring an arts showcase; make-and-take art activities for all ages; a wellness lounge; games for kids; music, dance, and theatrical performances; a community dance under the Big Tent; and even more activities for you and your family indoors and out. Download a PDF with all the details. Admission is free; food, art activities, and games are priced for affordable fun. It all takes place next Friday, July 21, from 2-8 p.m. on the Lyngblomsten campus, 1415 Almond Ave.
North Dale Rec Center features "Sing" at a free outdoor movie night next Friday, July 21. The movie starts about 9 p.m.; bring your lawn chairs, blanket, and bug spray to the field at Arlington and Maywood.
The ComoFest 5K Walk and Run for Everyone is next Saturday, July 22, starting outside the Lakeside Pavilion. The run benefits the Como Park Falcon Heights Living at Home Block Nurse Program. Advance registration is $20 for participants 12 and older; $10 for those 11 or younger -- but you've got to register online by midnight tonight, July 14. Otherwise, registration is $25 / $15. The run starts at 8:30 a.m.; t-shirt and packet pickup begins at 7:30 a.m.
Also July 22, Studio M Fitness offers a free yoga class outside at the Pavilion at noon. Bring your own mat if you have one.
District Council Meets Tuesday
The monthly meeting of the District 10 Como Community Council is this Tuesday, July 18. The meeting includes
presentations from Sustain Ward 3 Saint Paul (about the proposed rezoning of the Ford plant site) and the city's Department of Safety and Inspections (about the proposal for Saint Paul to opt out of the state's Temporary Family Health Care Dwelling Unit requirements).
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Community members are always welcome to attend and participate.
Trash Initiative Takes the Next Step
The City Council holds a public hearing this Wednesday, July 19, on the proposed switch to
coordinated trash collection in Saint Paul. Public Works announced this week that it has reached an
agreement with all 15 current haulers. The deal would mean only one hauler per neighborhood, ensure uniform rates across the city, include free hauling of up to three bulky items per year, set wage standards for drivers, and provide walk-up service for seniors and residents with disabilities. Under the proposed timeline, trash collection would change a year from now -- in summer or fall of 2018.
The hearing is Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., in the third-floor City Council chambers, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
Gardeners: This One
's for You
Do you
grow fruits or vegetables in the city? Then University of Saint Thomas researchers invite you to take their survey about urban garden practices. Their research is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The survey takes less time than it takes you to haul your hose out.
It's a Guessing Game
If they
're hiring, that
's got to mean
Delicata Pizza and Gelato is getting closer to opening at the old Como Park Grill / Java Train Space at 1341 Pascal. Owner Matty O
'Reilly says there will be no
"official opening.
" You
'll just have to
monitor the restaurant's Facebook page, or walk by regularly and, one of these days, the front door will open.
Library Celebrates a Century
The Saint Anthony Park Library celebrates its 100th birthday this Monday, July 17, from 5-7 p.m. The party includes a puppet show at 5:00, crafts, garden tours, and a contest for the best hat (it's a mystery what that means -- they're not sharing details).
Residents are encouraged to picnic on the library grounds, and to share memories and stories on the library's Digital Scrapbook platform. The library, at 2245 Como Ave., is a Carnegie library that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Mow lawns at least 3 inches high.
Watching Our Waste: Lawn Care
Our lawns can be a source of water pollution. Or they can be a buffer against it. Grass clippings, leaves, and fertilizer can wash into the street, which acts as a conveyor belt hustling them into storm drains, then into our lakes and the Mississippi River. Here are tips from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization to help your lawn become more of a buffer:
Don't cut grass too low. Grass that is 3 inches or higher produces healthier lawns and prevents runoff.
Mulch. Instead of bagging your clippings, mulch them back into the lawn. It's great fertilizer.
Mow wisely. For healthier lawns and fewer clippings, never cut off more than one-third of your lawn's height when you mow. And make sure your mower blades are sharp.
Water wisely. Water your lawn, not your sidewalk or driveway. Water in the morning; that gives lawns the moisture they need for the heat of the day. Lawns need about 1 inch of water a week; use sprinklers only for what rain does not provide naturally.
Fertilize wisely. Fertilizer works best in the fall, and only in the amounts directed. Always use zero-phosphorus fertilizer. As with watering, fertilize your lawn, not your sidewalk. If fertilizer flings onto hard surfaces, sweep it up promptly, so it doesn't wash into the storm drains and beyond.
Heiruspecs headlines Friday's scholarship show at Dockside.
We Never Know What to Expect
Music eventually gives way to musicals this week at the Lakeside Pavilion. First, the lineup of free music on the promenade:
Saturday, July 15: Panhandlers Steele Drum Band, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 16: 1st Things 1st, 3 p.m.; Stan Bann's Big Bone Band, 7 p.m.
A scholarship blowout: Tonight, Friday July 14, Como Dockside hosts Growing Central's Future, a fundraiser for scholarships at Central High School. Performers include Heiruspecs, Ayvah, Donte Collins, and the Department of Jazz. Activities run 5-9 p.m. Admission technically is free, but it's a fund-raiser, so dig in.
Community theaters do their thing: The Highland Community Center presents "Seussical" this Thursday through next Saturday, July 20-22, on the promenade. Shows are at 7:00 each night; general admission is $10 regardless of how old you are. "Seussical" returns the following weekend, July 27-29. (In August, Rosetown Playhouse brings "Brigadoon" to the promenade.
Farmers Market returns: The Dockside Farmers Market is back for a month. Find it Thursdays from 2-6 p.m.
Not everyone can have this much style.
What's Happening in Como Park
Among the picnics, weddings, church services, reunions, and birthday parties in the park this week, the most intriguing is the Anime Twin Cities Cosplay Picnic. If you see unusual, fictional-looking characters wandering around the picnic grounds on Saturday July 15, that's probably the explanation. Probably.
Public Art Saint Paul brings its "bee cart" to the Como Park playground near the west picnic grounds this Wednesday, July 19, from noon-2 p.m. The mobile educational cycle is part of the Bee Real Bee Everywhere project, which plans to unveil a much bigger presence in the park in August. Wednesday's event includes a pollinator scavenger hunt, a mailbox with seeds, and a chance to take action in support of pollinators.
The Wild Colonial Bhoys perform at this week's Groovin' in the Garden, Wednesday July 19, 6-8 p.m. outside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.
Como Zoo and Conservatory's big fundraiser, Sunset Affair, is this Thursday, July 20, from 5:30-10 p.m. "Magnificent Migrations" features music, drink, a catered dinner, presentations, a silent auction filled with unforgettable experiences and keepsakes, and the campus grounds at your disposal. Tickets: $250
This Week at the Fairgrounds
Street Machine Summer Nationals: Today-Sunday, July 14-16. Hours: till 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $13 in advance, $15 at the gate, children 9 or younger free with a paid adult. The event promises 3,000 muscle cars on display and in competition, autocross and handling demonstrations, acceleration and braking challenges, horsepower and burnout contests, and the Miss Street Machine bikini showcase.
MAQHA Corporate Challenge horse show: Through this Sunday, July 16. Warner Coliseum.
Machinery Hills Criterium du Nord race series: This Tuesday, July 18, roadways north of Hoyt Ave. 4-9 p.m. Bicycle road race training series; four races (beginners-experts). Entry fees: $10-$25.
Ramsey County Fair Ends Sunday
The Ramsey County Fairwraps up this Sunday, July 16. Admission is free, but parking is $3. The Fair is at 2020 White Bear Ave., Maplewood. Hours are noon-midnight today and Saturday, July 14-15; and noon-9:30 p.m. Sunday. Activities include carnival rides, a petting zoo, entertainment, a talent show, a car show, animal displays and demonstrations, and exhibits.
In Case You Didn't Know
This Monday, July 17, Mayor Christopher Coleman and finance director Todd Hurley explain the old and new ways of how Saint Paul handles Right-of-Way Maintenance Assessments, 6-7:15 p.m. Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center, 800 Conway St.
This Thursday, July 20: The Como Park Falcon Heights Living at Home Block Nurse Program holds a no-cost blood pressure clinic from 11 a.m.-noon at Arbor Pointe Apartments, 635 Maryland Ave. W.
Monday July 24: Mayor Christopher Coleman and finance director Todd Hurley explain the old and new ways of how Saint Paul handles Right-of-Way Maintenance Assessments, 6-7:15 p.m. Oxford Community Center, 270 Lexington Parkway N.
Looking Forward to a Night Out
National Night Out is only a few weeks away: Tuesday August 1. Register your block party with the City of St. Paul using this
simplified, online form.
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.
Streetcar Station Opens Every Sunday
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 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.
Photographers, Don't Keep It to Yourself
We know plenty of you are taking pictures of the
people, places and things that make our neighborhood unique. Well, we'd like to give you more exposure. This newsletter is happy to highlight the best of what local photographers send us about life in Como Park. It's easy: Just
email us your top image from the past seven days or so.
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?
