Sweet! 5-year-old Henry Baustad sizes up a Lift Bridge root beer as part of a taste-testing during Gabe's Mini-Mingle, the final event in ComoFest 2018.
Don't Waste This Information
Six different haulers will handle trash pickup in Como once Saint Paul's coordinated collection system begins Oct. 1.
Trash day for most of the neighborhood will be Friday, the same day as recycling. For District 10 residents west of Hamline, however, trash day will be Monday; recycling day will remain Friday.
Those are among details residents will receive any day, now that the city has mailed 85,000 brochures with up-to-date trash talk. If you can't wait for the mailer, get the scoop on your hauler and trash day by using the city's
interactive garbage map.
A quick, rough glance of how things are divvied up in District 10:
Advanced Disposal: Pickup is Friday for a small portion of the neighborhood roughly south of Maryland and east of Como Ave.
Aspen Waste Systems: Pickup is Monday for residents west of Hamline and south of Midway Parkway, plus residents west of Hamline, south of Arlington, and east of Pascal. Pickup is Friday in Energy Park.
Gene's Disposal: Pickup is Friday for residents north of Como Regional Park and west of Chatsworth (with a few exceptions).
Highland Sanitation: Pickup is Friday for residents south of the lake roughly between Lexington and Dale.
Pete's Rubbish and Hauling: Pickup is Monday for residents west of Hamline and north of Arlington, plus residents west of Pascal and north of Midway Parkway.
Waste Management: Pickup is Friday for residents east of Chatsworth (give or take) and north of Maryland.
Here are other things to pay attention to, as the city divides up trash responsibilities among 11 haulers all together:
New trash carts will be delivered beginning Aug. 13. Delivery is supposed to start in "the northwest corner of the City," so District 10 should be among the first to show off the always fashionable, basic black carts, in three distinctive sizes. (We'll have to let the carts collect dust, however, until new service starts Oct. 1.)
Our new haulers will send us a bill in September for the first three months of service.
If you don't like your cart size, you'll have to live with it until January. Then you can switch it out for a larger or smaller option.
These and many more other details are on the city's
Garbage website. So are phone numbers and email addresses for questions they didn't think of.
Photo: Elizabeth Siqveland
Join the Flotilla!
Local residents led by Elizabeth Siqveland are organizing a
cleanup of debris on the water and along the shoreline of Como Lake. The cleanup is this Saturday, Aug. 4, beginning at 9 a.m. If you've got a canoe or kayak (or can walk the shoreline), meet at the docks behind the Lakeside Pavilion. We'll have gloves, bags, and other provisions and supplies on hand.
Take a Step Toward Safer Crosswalks
District 10, Saint Paul Police, and the citywide Stop for Me
pedestrian safety campaign hold an educational and enforcement event this Wednesday, Aug. 8, from 4-5:30 p.m. We'll be at the crosswalks near Nagasaki Drive and East Como Blvd. (on the southeast end of the lake, outside Como By the Lake apartments). If you can join us,
email the District 10 office.
School Votes to Tear Down Old Church
Board members of the
Twin Cities German Immersion School voted 6-1 this week to tear down the old St. Andrew's church building and replace it with a new building that can accommodate the public charter school's growing enrollment. The board rejected the possibility of purchasing the Central Lutheran property on Lexington Parkway as too risky.
Demolition and construction are expected to begin in May 2019, at the end of the upcoming school year.
Residents in the Save Historic St. Andrews group say they will continue working to add the former church building to the city's historic registry.
The school board's decision clears the way for formal design of a new building, which is expected to contain about 23,000 square feet on three levels. A formal plan also clears the way for practical discussions with the community and city about the building itself and the related impacts of the school's success, including parking, traffic, noise, and pedestrian safety.
The building addition is likely to include as many as eight classrooms, additional office space, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria, school officials say. It will enable the school to handle a maximum enrollment of 648 -- 72 per grade, or 24 per classroom. The school now has roughly 550 pupils in grades K-8; it projects enrollment of 613 within four years as younger pupils move into higher grades.
One School Will Replace Another
The "for sale" sign is still on the Metro Deaf School building, but
Higher Ground Academy confirms that it is purchasing the property for its middle school and high school grades. Metro Deaf School plans to move into its new building on Lexington Parkway (just north of Gabe's) in January; Higher Ground likely will expand into Como in fall 2019.
Vote Early at the Streetcar Station
Beginning this Tuesday, Aug. 7, Ramsey County residents can
vote early in the Aug. 14
statewide primary elections and City of Saint Paul special election for
City Council in Ward 4. Any county resident can vote at the Como Park Streetcar Station or 10 other locations. Early voting hours are:
Aug. 7, 8, 9, and 10: noon-6 p.m.
Aug. 11 and 13: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Or, you can wait until Election Day, Aug. 14, when polls will be open in all precincts from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Find out who is on your ballot
Watch the Ward 4 forum: If you missed the SPNN/League of Women Voters Saint Paul forum for the special City Council election in Ward 4, you can view it on You Tube. Or watch in on local access Channel 19 Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.; Aug. 9 at 10:30 p.m.; Aug. 11 at 3 p.m.; Aug. 12 at 5:30 p.m.; or Aug. 12 at noon.
A New Plan for the Lake
Capitol Region Watershed District is updating the lake management plan for Como Lake for the first time in 15 years. They're inviting community input through a public advisory group, which will meet in August, November, and February. If you are interested in participating, show up at the Lakeside Pavilion this Thursday, Aug. 9, from 6-8 p.m.
RSVP through the watershed district's Facebook page; learn more about the lake management plan on their website.
Can You Find Your Way Around?
Walking, bicycling, or rolling around Como Park? We want to know what it's like for you. Our survey is looking for your experiences and ideas about signs, paths, and generally getting from one part of the park to another.
You can
take the survey online (in English, Spanish, Hmong, or Somali). Or you can take the survey in person when our crews are out at different parts of the park. Or look for the lawn signs we've got planted along various paths, scan the QR code with your mobile device, and take the survey at your convenience.
Stay Away from 35W and 280 (Again)
MnDOT is shutting down nearly all of
I-35W in both directions again this weekend from I-694 on the north all the way to Highway 62 on the south.
Highway 280 also essentially will be shut down. The freeways are supposed to close from 9:00 tonight, Friday Aug. 3, until 5 a.m. this Monday, Aug. 6. Expect ramps to begin closing an hour before that. The only exceptions:
There will be local access to Highway 280 between University and Larpenteur.
There will be local access to 35W from County Road C north to 694.
Metro Transit Cuts Trips on Routes 3, 61
Citing a shortage of drivers, Metro Transit has cut two trips on Route 3A, three trips on Route 3B, and one trip on Route 61. All the routes run through District 10. Find out which trips are affected.
Time to Distinguish Yourself?
The Wilder Foundation is recruiting applicants to its
Neighborhood Leadership Program. The program provides in-depth training of diverse leaders from across the city to develop their skills and promote effective action. Training involves 14 sessions between September 2018 and March 2019.
The program is open to anyone age 16 or older; priority is given to applicants who live, work, or volunteer in Saint Paul. Cost is $250. The application deadline is Friday Aug. 24, 5 p.m.
Just for teens:Friday Aug. 31 is the deadline for teens in Grades 9-12 to apply for Wilder's Youth Leadership Initiative.
It's an invasion of mandolins on Aug. 6.
This Week on the Promenade
Highland Park Community Center Theater wraps up its production of
"James and the Giant Peach" this weekend at the Lakeside Pavilion. Performances are tonight and Saturday, Aug. 3-4, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Here's what's going on for free on the Promenade (or nearby) the rest of this week:
Today, Friday Aug. 3: Yoga on the Lake, 10 a.m.
This Sunday, Aug. 5: Twin Cities Show Chorus, 3 p.m.; John Philip Sousa Band, 7 p.m.
This Monday, Aug. 6: Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra, 7 p.m.
This Tuesday, Aug. 7: National Night Out with Sing United, 7 p.m.
This Wednesday, Aug. 8: Yoga on the Lake, 10 a.m.; Minnesota State Band, 7 p.m.
This Thursday, Aug. 9: Prior Lake Windjammers Community Band, 7 p.m.
Next Friday, Aug. 10: Yoga on the Lake, 10 a.m.; The Dollys, 7 p.m.
This Sunday, Aug. 5: Hemophilia Foundation Step Out for Bleeding Disorders Walk, 11 a.m. Main picnic pavilion, around the lake and back. Registration: $15 online before 7 p.m. Aug. 4; $20 on the day of the walk.
This Wednesday, Aug. 8: Minnesota Distance Running Association Como Park Relays, 6:45 p.m. Main picnic pavilion. Registration: $3-$5, depending on age. Different distances every Wednesday in August.
Fairgrounds are Going Off Limits
Beginning this Monday, Aug. 6, the Fairgrounds shut down until the State Fair opens Aug. 23. During that time, you'll need an ID and a good excuse to get in. This weekend, there's one last event:
North Central Reining Futurity and Derby Show: Continues through Sunday, Aug. 5, Warner Coliseum. Free spectator admission.
Also Coming Up This Month
Today, Friday Aug. 3: Saint Paul Community Solar Discussion, hosted by Cooperative Energy Futures, 3:30-5 p.m. Rondo Community Library, 461 N. Dale.
This Tuesday, Aug. 7: National Night Out. District 10 residents are throwing roughly 3 dozen block parties. Be careful and kind if a street or alley is blocked off. Get the full list of events citywide
This Tuesday, Aug. 7: Deadline to comment on the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Improvement Program, which proposes highway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects for federal funding in the next four years.
This Thursday, Aug. 9: Mayor Melvin Carter releases his city budget proposal, 6 p.m. Washington Technology Magnet School, 1495 Rice St.
Wednesday, Aug. 15: Public hearing on accessory dwelling units, 5:30 p.m. Room 300, City Hall, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
Go 3D to Defeat Auto Thieves
Thieves need 20 seconds to get what they need from your car. To limit your chances of being a victim, police recommend going 3D: Delay, Deter, and Detect.
Delay: Lock your vehicle, roll up the windows, protect your automatic key fob by storing it in a bag or container that blocks electronic signals. If you've got nice rims, spend a little more and install wheel-locking lug nuts.
Deter: Don't park in the dark. At home, park in the garage (instead of outside) whenever possible.
Detect: Use your car alarm. Don't ignore people lurking or walking suspiciously near parked vehicles. Get a description -- gender, race, height, clothing, age, license plate if they drive away, the exact location -- and call it in.
District 10 has street barricades and portable recycling containers that community members can use for block parties, neighborhood, or family events.
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 $40 when you return the barricades. Reservations are first-come, first-served. (To borrow our barricades, you must have an event permit from the city.)
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.
To reserve any of this equipment, call our office at 651-644-3889, or
send us an email.
Streetcar Station is Open Sundays
The exhibit space at the Como Park Streetcar Station is now open for the season every Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Stop in to learn a bit about the history of Como Park, pick up replacement
organics recycling bags, or just share comments and suggestions with the District 10 board member on duty. 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.
