Goalkeeper Adam Pekel tracks a shot during some informal practice with Central High School teammates at McMurray Field.
Renters, What's on Your Mind?
Do you rent? District 10's Neighborhood Relations and Safety committee wants to know what you think about living in Como. Take our survey: What do you like? What would you improve? What's a priority for you? Tell us your opinions -- and feel free to share the survey with other people who share a wall, ceiling, or floor with you. We'll start the conversation this Tuesday, Sept. 5, at our monthly committee meeting: 7 p.m. at the Como Park Streetcar Station, which is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Join us if you can. Bring a neighbor, too.
The Dialogue Continues
District 10's Land Use Committee meets this Wednesday. A main topic: continue trying to develop amicable solutions among neighbors concerning traffic, parking, and noise near the Twin Cities German Immersion School. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Sept. 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. Preview the agenda online.
Get Rid of Your Junk for Free
Not a rhetorical question: Why should you volunteer to staff Saint Paul's annual Reduce & Recycle Citywide Drop Off Event at the State Fairgrounds on Oct. 7?
You receive a voucher allowing you to dispose of one load of your own junk for free.
We feed you.
You help out a lot of people in a short period of time.
Volunteers MUST register in advance; because of safety and coordination concerns, we no longer can accept walk-in volunteers the day of the event. Shifts are 3.5 hours -- we'll have a morning shift and a not-so-early morning shift. To volunteer, contact the Como Community Council office by email or by phone at 651-644-3889.
Start Adding to Your Pile Now
Saint Paul's annual Reduce & Recycle Citywide Drop Off Event at the State Fairgrounds is Saturday Oct. 7, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Residents can dispose of appliances, electronics, furniture, tires, demolition debris, scrap metal, and other household refuse you cannot put in the trash. There's a set fee per item or per load. For full details on what items are acceptable, and what they cost, see the city's All-In web page.
Seniors: If you are 65 or older and can't make it to the Fairgrounds, arrange a "senior pick-up." You'll have to pay the same fees as everyone else, but we'll try to pick up your discards for free. Contact the Como Community Council office by email or by phone at 651-644-3889
Labor Day Messes with Schedules
Public transit: Labor Day is this Monday, Sept. 4. Metro Transit will operate on its Sunday/Holiday schedule.
Recycling: Labor Day means recycling pickup is pushed back one day. In District 10, there will be no pickup next Friday, Sept. 8. Instead, recycling will be picked up next Saturday, Sept. 9.
Watching Our Waste: Household Hazards
Ramsey County's mobile collection site for hazardous household waste opens next Friday, Sept. 8, at the State Fairgrounds parking lots south of Como Ave. The site is open through September -- every Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and every Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The site collects (for free!) things that automatically come to mind, such as old auto fluids, lawn and garden chemicals, or home cleaning products. But the site also collects bulbs, thermometers and other items with mercury; electrical cords and string lights; needles, syringes and lancets; propane tanks; and more. Get the complete list.
Live in South Como or Energy Park?
The Como Community Council is seeking candidates to fill one board vacancy representing Sub-District 4, the part of our neighborhood commonly known as South Como and Energy Park.
The seat is open to anyone at least 18 years of age who lives in Sub-District 4; you can be a renter or a homeowner. Representatives from businesses or institutions based in the Sub-District also are eligible. The boundaries of Sub-District 4 are Dale on the east, Snelling on the west, and the two sets of BNSF railroad tracks on the north and south.
To find our more, see the District 10 website. To get on the ballot, fill out this online form. To be listed on the ballot, you must submit your nomination by Tuesday Sept. 12. The elected candidate will serve until April 2018.
Construction New and Old
Como Ave.: During the State Fair, the street is passable west of Raymond Ave. But it will shut down again this Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Energy Park Drive: The railroad crossing will be rebuilt east of Raymond Ave. (adjacent to Cemstone and Diesel Dogs). That will shut down Energy Park Drive in that neck of the woods beginning this Tuesday, Sept. 5. It should reopen by next weekend.
High Bridge: The iconic bridge shuts down this Tuesday, Sept. 5, as Smith Ave./Highway 149 gets an overhaul between W. 7th St. in Saint Paul and Interstate 494 in Mendota Heights. Construction will last through 2018. The work also affects walking and biking trails along Shepard Road, the Samuel Morgan trail north of the Mississippi, and the Lilydale trail south of the river. In addition, the High Bridge Dog Park is closed until Sept. 11, then will have limited access after that.
Lexington Parkway: Sidewalk and crosswalk work continues to reduce lanes. Work is moving north from Randolph Ave. toward University Ave., then switching to the southbound lanes and heading back toward Randolph.
Snelling Ave.: Because of the State Fair, all lanes and intersections are open temporarily from Como Ave. north to Highway 36. The orange barrels return this Wednesday, Sept. 6; periodic lane closures continue through the end of September.
Victoria Ave.: It's not paved yet, but you can get through now at the intersection with Wheelock Parkway, Maryland Ave., and Como Lake Drive. Expect temporary closures to continue through next Saturday, Sept. 9.
Wheelock Parkway: Closed to through traffic between Victoria and Dale until November. Intersections at north-south streets will close on a daily, as-needed basis.
Meals on Wheels Needs Volunteers
Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers to deliver lunch -- and a smile, and kind words -- to homebound residents in our neighborhood. Your gift of time not only brings a nutritious meal, it helps break the isolation and add quality to clients' lives. The basics:
Drivers deliver from 10:30 a.m.-noon weekdays. Routes typically take an hour or less.
Drivers can deliver daily, weekly, monthly, or somewhere in between.
Volunteers must have a valid Minnesota driver's license and agree to a criminal background check (which the Wilder Foundation pays for).
Today, Friday Sept. 1: Deadline to comment on Ramsey County's draft plan to reduce waste and increase recycling.
This Tuesday, Sept. 5: Classes resume at Saint Paul Public Schools, Great River School, Hmong College Prep Academy, Maternity of Mary Saint Andrew School, Metro Deaf School.
Next Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 9-10: The Energy Fair, Harriet Island. 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Visiting exhibitors is free; workshops and other activities cost $10-$25, depending on your age and how much access you want.
Monday Sept. 11: Public Works' informational meeting on Wheelock Parkway construction assessments and progress, 6 p.m. Como Park Streetcar Station.
Tuesday Sept. 12: Public hearing on 2018 water rates, 5 p.m. Saint Paul Regional Water Services, 1900 Rice St.
Wednesday Sept. 13: Dedication ceremony for the "Pollinator Skyrise," 10 a.m. Como Park paths near Horton, Nagasaki, and West Como Blvd. (Rain date: Sept. 15)
Thursday Sept. 14: Master Water Stewards information session, 5:30-7 p.m. Urban Boatbuilders, 2288 W. University Ave.
Wednesday Sept. 20: Public hearing on Ford Site Zoning Study and Public Realm Master Plan, 5:30 p.m. Third-floor City Council Chambers, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd. Details here -- or comment in advance online.
Saturday Sept. 23: Zero Waste Summit, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Parkway N. $15-$35 (scholarships are available)
Saturday Oct. 7: Como Park Senior High School Homecoming Parade, 11 a.m.
In case you didn't realize it, tomatoes are in season.
Going, Going ...
With rare exception, it's the last weekend for free music on the Promenade of the Lakeside Pavilion:
Tonight, Friday Sept. 1: 7 Cats Swing, 7 p.m.
This Saturday, Sept. 2: Post Atomic Trio, 7 p.m.
Farmers Market: The Dockside Farmers Market unloads the goods every Thursday from 2-6 p.m.
The Umbrellas and Cushions, Too
The social media rumors are true: Thieves are hauling away
patio furniture from our neighborhood. Saint Paul Police offer these tips to reduce your chances of becoming the next victim:
Use plastic-coated cable to lock your furniture to heavy or immovable objects.
If possible, move furniture indoors or into a locked shed when you're not using it.
Keep gates closed (and locked if possible) overnight and when you're not home.
Make sure you and your neighbors call 911 when you see something suspicious in someone's yard. Call police first, then call each other.
Keep yards lit at night; thieves don't like to been seen.
The Como Park Streetcar Station is now open every Sunday through the end of this month, 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.
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?
