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Call For Artists: Spring Art Crawl
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The Como Community Council will be participating in the Saint Paul Art Collective's Spring Art Crawl and is opening space for 8 Como artists to showcase their work for FREE at the Como Streetcar Station. If you'd like to participate, please email organizer@district10comopark.org for more information about the space and details about the day!
Community Members - SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 27th | 12-6pm with a FREE dance class at 4pm from Body Watani.
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Join Us Next Week
D10 Como Social - Wednesday - Mar. 13, 6pm
@ Half-Time Rec (1013 Front Ave.)

The Como Community Council is putting down the gavel once a month for a social gathering. This agenda-free meet-up will vary in time and location, but will generally happen between our two monthly meetings on the second Wednesday each month. You will find the details here in the newsletter or on our website.
These events are open to all. They provide an opportunity for D10 regulars, veterans, and newcomers to get to know one another outside our formal meetings. No board business is conducted at these meet-ups.
Join us Wednesday, Mar. 13, 6pm at Half-Time Rec (1013 Front Ave.), our table(s) will be identified with the D10 logo marker adjacent to this text. Come say hi!
Questions? Email district10@district10comopark.org
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Join the D10 Como Community Council Board in 2024
Here’s your chance to tackle that new year's resolution to get more involved: Several seats are up for election in April to the District 10 Como Community Council board.
It is highly recommended that you join us at some monthly meetings, which are always open to all community members, before making the decision to commit to a board position.
These positions serve two-year terms, through April 2025. To get on the ballot, fill out an application at District10ComoPark.org/Elections. That’s where you can also learn more about the roles and opportunities of board members. The filing deadline is Sunday April 1. The election ends April 15. If you have any questions or would like to know more about being a board member you can reach out to district10@district10comopark.org.
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Request a Ballot for the D10 Election
Ballots for the April election can be requested on our election page (ballots won't be created and sent until after the candidate filing period has passed). Community members vote from home: either online or by returning a paper ballot through the mail.
The first step in voting is to request a ballot. To get your ballot, fill out a ballot request form. We’ll send ballots beginning Friday April 5.
Who is eligible to vote: Renters, homeowners, and other residents of District 10 who are at least 16 years old can vote. So can representatives from business, nonprofits, or other organizations with a physical presence in District 10.
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D10 On-Demand
Through the miracle of modern technology, most of our Como community meeting presentation recordings are available to view on our website.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Update - 3/6/2024
At this week's D10 Como Community Meeting we welcomed Adam Strehlow, Urban Forester, St. Paul Parks and Rec – Forestry, to give us an overview of the city's EAB history and response, and what to expect in 2024. View the recording here on our website.
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Save The Date: Como Garage Sale May 16-19
D10 Como Community Council is once again coordinating a community sale weekend from Thursday, May 16 to Sunday the 19. If you would like to be included in our map, please fill out the Como Community Sale Form with your information before May 10.
We will be promoting this effort in our Weekly Newsletter, Facebook, and flyering some local community spaces, directing people to find the map on this page: District10ComoPark.org/GarageSale. You can also download and print this flier PDF to post in your community spaces.
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Deadline March 14: Register For Como Ball!
There is a NEW baseball and softball program starting this spring - right here in Como! - and they are looking for neighborhood kids to join the fun! Como Ball is a nonprofit youth baseball and softball association with the mission of returning quality and affordable youth baseball and softball to the Como Park, Hamline-Midway, North End, St Anthony Park, and Frogtown neighborhoods. There will be an in-house league for kids aged 7-12 as well as travel teams for older kids. The season will run from mid-May thru July, with specific schedules coming soon. Check out the great article about Como Ball that was in the Pioneer Press!
Visit www.comoball.com to learn more and register today!
DONATIONS ACCEPTED: Don't have young kids but still want to support the program? Donations will go toward purchasing equipment and providing scholarships for families, so that finances are not a barrier to kids playing ball. Click here to donate!
SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE: If you're a local business owner, please join the growing list of sponsors by emailing comoball23@gmail.com. We love community support!
QUESTIONS? Contact comoball23@gmail.com
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Neighborhood Food Drive
Sun, Mar. 17 Noon-2pm @ Como Park Lutheran Church’s Parking Lot (corner of Hoyt Ave W & Hamline Ave N)
Como Park Lutheran Church is organizing a Neighborhood food drive for the MN FoodShare Campaign. The event will be held on March 17th from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. All donations will go to Keystone Community Service in St. Paul.
Minnesotans made a record-breaking 7.5 million visits to food shelves in 2023. Your support is greatly needed & appreciated!
Come help restock the local food shelves. Drop off your donations at CPLC’s parking lot.
NEEDED ITEMS:
- Peanut Butter
- Canned tuna (and other proteins)
- Soup
- Cereal
- Cooking/baking items—flour, sugar, and oil
- Culturally specific food—rice, fish sauce, bamboo shoots, vermicelli noodles
- *Cash/Check (payable to Keystone Community Services)
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Egg Hunt and Holy Week at St. Timothy
St. Timothy Lutheran Church (1465 Victoria St. N.) will host an Easter Egg Hunt for Como families on Saturday, March 30 at 10:00am. The event will take place outside if weather allows, and move indoors if needed. Come and enjoy the fun! No RSVP is needed.
Join St. Timothy for Holy Week:
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Sun, Mar. 24 9:30am - Palm Sunday followed by Pancake Breakfast
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Thur, Mar. 28 2pm & 7pm - Maundy Thursday
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Fri, Mar. 29 7pm - Good Friday
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Sat, Mar. 30 10am - Easter Egg Hunt for Como families
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Sun, Mar. 31 - Easter Sunday, 9:00am traditional,10:30am contemporary
All services available on livestream. For more information visit www.sttimothylutheran.org.
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Thursday Morning “Tot Time” in Como
St. Timothy Lutheran Church (1465 Victoria Street N.) is also piloting a “Tot Time” for 0-5 year olds and their care-givers Thursdays in April 10:00-11:30am, with Circle Time at 11:15am. This is a free, non-religious event open to people of all backgrounds. Enter through the glass doors on Nevada Ave. A nut-free snack for kids and coffee for adults will be provided.
Questions? Email Pastor Liesl at pastorliesl@sttimothylutheran.org or call 651-489-0336.
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Save the Date: Spring Seed Bee April 6
Sat. Apr. 6 10am-12:30pm @ Saint Paul Tool Library (1010 Dale St. N.)
In just a month we will be hosting the 3rd in the series of garden workshop events that are a collaboration of D10, the MN SEED Project, the Minnesota Tool Library (St. Paul), Lawns to Legumes, and the Saint Paullinators of South Como.
Stations will include:
- Soil Blocking
- Garden Tool Swap
- Seed Bomb Making
- Pollinator Resources
- Seed Library Share
- Paper Pots & Upcycled Containers
- Garden Buddies
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Geothermal Conversion at Como Zoo & Conservatory
This week city council approved financing amendment for Parks and Rec plans for the new 1% sales tax improvements including deferred maintenance on various park facilities, but also investments in climate resilience projects like implementing the first phase of converting Como Zoo & Conservatory’s heating to geothermal.
You can view the parks and rec presentation slides here.
View the entire press release here.
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Como Parks & Rec Programming
Youth Summer Sports registration is open. Youth sports are FREE at all rec centers for 10U and up! Jump on the Early Bird Discounts this weekend.
Parks is now seeking 2024 Music in the Parks performers applications are now open for summer 2024 Music in the Parks performers at Mears Park and Como Lakeside Pavilion. Visit the Music in the Parks webpage for more information and to apply.
Camp Como is back: 2024 camp offerings are now listed on their website. Scholarships are available. Registration opened February 20.
North Dale Rec Center (9am-9pm Mon-Thu, 9am-6pm Fri)
Ongoing Drop-In Programming
Northwest Como Rec Center (2-9pm Mon-Thu, 2-6pm Fri)
*Registration Required
D10 finds this info here in the Parks and Rec registration system, you can often find events further in advance than we have room here in the newsletter for!
St. Paul Parks & Rec Fee Assistance Program
The City of Saint Paul operates a special program that helps families pay for Parks & Recreation youth classes and activities. Fee Assistance can be requested by families who meet program requirements when registering for youth activities. To be eligible for the program, youth must live in Saint Paul, be 18 years old or younger, and qualify for free and reduced lunches.
Fee Assistance can be used toward most recreational sports or activities offered by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. To view the online catalog of all available activities offered, click here.
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Neighborhood Notes
Sound Level Variance Notice:
- An application for a sound level variance has been received for the Hmong International Freedom Festival event on Saturday June 29 and Sunday June 30, 2024 from 8:00am-9:00pm on event days with a pre-event sound check on Friday June 28, 2024. The event will be located at McMurray Fields. Further details on this event will be forthcoming.
Upcoming License Renewals
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Gabes by the Park (991 Lexington Pkwy): Liquor, Gambling, and Entertainment licenses are up for renewal on May 5. Anyone with input should contact the Ward 5 City Council office: ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us.
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Essence Event Center (1217 Bandana Blvd): Liquor and Entertainment licenses are up for renewal on May 6. Anyone with input should contact the Ward 5 City Council office: ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us.
*While license notifications serve as community reminders, feedback on a business license can be submitted at any time.
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Why Are The Street Lights Out or Dark? Wire Theft
St. Paul Public Works has a Street Lighting webpage on the issue, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions that have been on many of our minds as we think up our own solutions to the issue.
We need the support of residents and businesses to stop street light wire theft!
Wire theft is not random, but often organized and coordinated with people even wearing vests and putting out cones. If you see anyone “working” on street lights during any time of the day or night and there is a not a City of Saint Paul vehicle near the site, please report the location and activity to the Saint Paul Police Department at 651-291-1111. Do not approach the “workers.”
To report any street lights that are out or damaged, please report the location through the online form.
SAVE THE DATE: County Attorney John Choi is planning to attend the March 19 Western District community meeting (389 N. Hamline Ave.), which will focus on copper wire theft.
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Monday, March 11: Mayor Carter to Deliver 2024 State of Our City Address
On Monday, March 11, Mayor Carter will deliver the 2024 State of Our City address at the Xcel Energy Center. The 2024 State of Our City address is free and open to the public.
WHAT: Mayor Carter’s 2024 State of Our City address
WHEN: Monday, March 11, 2024 at Noon.
WHERE:
Xcel Energy Center, Gate 1 Entrance
199 W Kellogg Blvd
St Paul, MN 55102
The event will be held just beyond the Gate 1 entrance. Free parking will be provided from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Saint Paul RiverCentre Parking Ramp. RSVP if you're planning to join in-person.
The address will also be live streamed online on the City of Saint Paul Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cityofsaintpaul.
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Proposed 2024-25 Consolidated Plan - Annual Action Plan Review and Public Hearing
The community is invited to provide input to the City of Saint Paul on the draft 2024 Annual Action Plan during a public comment period from March 1 – April 1, 2024.
The plan describes the use of federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding received by the City for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant programs totaling nearly $10 million in annual investments.
Comments can be provided via email, mail, voicemail, or at an in-person public hearing at Rondo Community Library on Wednesday, March 13 from 3 - 4 p.m. More information is available in the official notice below and at stpaul.gov/conplan.
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Workshops hosted by the St. Paul Police Department
Wednesday, March 27 at 6p.m.: Personal Safety
Learn about situational awareness at home, in the car, at work and in the community.
Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m.: Fraud and Identity Theft
Register here for these virtual classes.
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2024 STAR grant applications open Friday, April 5
Save the date! The 2024 grant applications for the City of Saint Paul’s Neighborhood STAR and Cultural STAR programs will open on Friday, April 5.
Neighborhood STAR grants fund capital projects in Saint Paul neighborhoods and Cultural STAR grants support arts and cultural organizations and events in Saint Paul.
Online applications for both programs will be due Wednesday, May 15 at 4 p.m.
Visit the program websites for more information on this year’s STAR programs. The 2024 guidelines and information on application workshops will be available in March.
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Ramsey County Environmental Resources
Start collecting food scraps for compost
Looking to do something good for the environment? Participate in Ramsey County’s free food scraps collection program. You’ll reduce your trash and put wasted food to better use. There is a collection site here in Como at located at 1115 Beulah Ln, on the West side of the McMurray Fields. The food scraps are processed into compost at an industrial compost facility and used in gardening and landscaping projects. All types of food waste are accepted, including meat, bones and dairy.
Collecting food scraps is easy! Just follow these three steps:
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Get equipped: Find a container to collect food scraps. Pick up a free compostable bag at the collection site.
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Collect food scraps: Line your container with the compostable bag and fill it with food scraps.
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Drop them off: When your compostable bag is full, drop it off at the collection site. Pick up a new bag at the site.
To learn more, watch this short video and visit Ramsey County’s food scraps webpage.
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Yes, cardboard gets recycled!
Put flattened cardboard boxes in your City of Saint Paul Recycling cart. Have extras? Stack extra, flattened cardboard next to the recycling cart on your next collection day. Make sure the extra cardboard is small enough to fit inside the cart! Extra cardboard may also be brought to the Recycling Drop Off Center at 309 Como Ave. Find hours and details at www.stpaul.gov/dropoffcenter.
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Warming Space Locations and Hours
Ramsey County has opened winter warming spaces in Saint Paul for residents who are experiencing homelessness. Through the end of March 2024, the following locations will be open every night from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. On Jan. 1, the Saint Paul Opportunity Center warming space closed for the season.
Central Baptist Church
420 N. Roy St.
For families and youth ages 14-24
Saint Paul-Reformation Lutheran
100 N Oxford St.
For women only
Phalen Activity Center
1530 Phalen Drive
For men only
Union Gospel Mission
435 University Ave. E.
For adult men only
The free shuttle service will run from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day. Ramsey County housing services and support staff will also be answering calls and emails from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. to help refer people to available warming spaces or extra shelter beds. You can also find extreme cold and winter weather safety information here.
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More Community Resources
Tax Help
Prepare + Prosper offers free tax preparation, financial coaching, and helps people obtain banking access. Tax preparation is done by IRS-certified volunteers. Go to https://prepareandprosper.org/ to find details including what documents you need and to schedule a tax appointment, and locations and times.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides free tax assistance with several preparation options now through April 15. Tax-Aide locator is live and on-site Tax-Aide service will open in early February. Tax assistance is available by appointment and might be offered on a walk-in basis depending on the location. Access to the different types of taxpayer assistance varies in each locality. Visit the website aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/.
Transit Assistance
The Transit Assistance Program (TAP) is designed to make public transit more affordable for people with lower incomes. TAP provides a year-long reduced fare pass on a Go-To Card. Customers can use a bus or train for just $1 per ride, even during rush hour, with a 2½ hour transfer. Signing up for the program is quick and easy. Do it straight from your computer or phone by uploading one of the pre-approved documents listed at https://www.metrotransit.org/tap-riders along with a copy of your I.D. They will mail you a Go-To Card with a full year of discounted rides.
For questions or translation help, call 612-373-3333.
Vehicle Repair Assistance
Heading Home Ramsey has provided some options for vehicle repair assistance for some people. For example, the car issue is preventing them from getting to work, which is preventing them from paying rent. If you are currently receiving assistance you may want to check with the organization or group assisting you to see if they have additional options.
See details: Vehicle Repair Assistance
Help with Energy Bills
Minnesota's Energy Assistance Program helps to pay those energy and water bills. You may apply online or in person. For more details go to the State of Minnesota website https://energy-assistance.web.commerce.state.mn.us/ or the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties (CAPRW) website at https://caprw.org/services/energy-assistance.html. The CAPRW site lists the St. Paul location, hours, and phone number to call for questions
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What's Happening At The Fairgrounds? | |
George's Minnesota Muskie Expo | |
DESCRIPTION
George’s Minnesota Minnesota Muskie Expo is a fishing show for muskie anglers. The show includes seminars, retailers, resorts, factory reps, lures, rods, reels, maps, publications, muskie guides, reproductions, boats, kids zone and much much more.
LOCATION
Warner Coliseum
HOURS March 8-10
Friday: 2-8:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ADMISSION
Adults: $10
Weekend Pass: $17
Children (12 & under): Free
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Have something you'd like us to consider sharing in our newsletter? Email us at district10@district10comopark.org | |  |
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Support Community Engagement
Do you appreciate the work D10 Como Park does in the community? Consider supporting D10's work by making a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!
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