January 21, 2022 | Friday

D10 Como Park Hosting Winter Weather Donation Drive

February 12 & 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

D10 Como Community Council is hosting a donation drive to help the unsheltered community this winter. We will be set up in the parking lot of the Como Historic Streetcar Station (1224 Lexington Pkwy) on Saturday and Sunday, February 12 & 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We will be collecting NEW:

• Gloves/Mittens
• Socks
• Fleece Gaiters
• Hand Warmers
• Cough Drops
• Travel Tissues
• View an Amazon.com 'wishlist' of accepted items

Donations will go to Minnesota Community Care and its partner organizations.

Want to get involved? Community members are welcome to volunteer during our drive to help collect, sort or deliver items. Email organizer@district10comopark.org to get involved. We also welcome financial donations to the Neighborhood Relations Committee so that we can continue to run this and other community events!

Community Photo: Girls High School Hockey Day at North Dale Rec - 1/8/22

Thanks to Como community member Jesse Busta for taking and sharing this photo for our Newsletter. If you have photos, ideas, or info for future newsletters, you can email them to district10@district10comopark.org.

More Community Engagement Opportunities Coming For Hamline Midway Library Transformation

While the Como neighborhood doesn't technically have a Saint Paul Public Library in its boundaries, there are a few close enough to consider ours and one of them is the Hamline Midway branch on Minnehaha east of Snelling.

Hamline Midway is one of three branches that SPPL is proposing for renovation and the only of those that has secured funding to do so thus far. In the coming months, the Library intends to seek feedback on what features community members are looking for from the library that could be addressed in the transformation.

We will post updates here, but SPPL also has launched a newsletter specifically for updates on the planning and community engagement opportunities around the facilities changes.

Como Community Garden Featured on 2021 Blooming St. Paul Showcase

Last week we briefly mentioned the 2021 Blooming St. Paul Showcase garden photos. D10 staff even tried in vain to locate the Como Community Garden piece that was surely contained within the large document.

Thanks to a couple of our community gardeners' perseverance (Thanks Mary & Jodie!), we can now happily direct you to pages 160-162 for photos and a story by Becky Geinger about our fabulous local community garden!

Also related to last week's Landmark Tree Program story: The Saint Paul Tree Advisory Panel (TAP) is looking for new members. TAP’s mission is to advise St. Paul's Forestry section on the preservation, promotion, and enhancement of our urban forest. This civilian panel reviews and advises on existing ordinances, policies, procedures, and programs and assists in setting long term goals and strategies to promote and sustain a healthy, diverse urban forest. There are currently several vacancies which they hope to fill immediately. 

Como Parks & Rec Update

North Dale Rec Center (1414 N. St. Albans) - PDF Flyer

• Chess & Strategy Games - Thursdays beginning January 27 - Registration Req. - $70
• Senior Gamers (ages 50+) - Tuesdays thru May 31, Noon-2pm - Free
• Social Needle Work Time ages 18+ - 2nd Thursdays through May 12 - Free
• Teen Video Game Night ages 12-18 - Wednesdays beginning February 2 - Free
• Family Roller Skating Night - Thursday, February 10, 6:30-7:30pm - Free
• Men's Ice & Advil Basketball ages 35-50 - Sundays beginning Feb 13 - Registration Req. - $30
• Senior Fitness ages 50+ - Tues & Thurs thru May 31, 9:30-10:30am - Free
• Senior Day ages 50+ - Thursdays thru May 26, 10am-2pm - Free
• Red Cross Babysitting Training ages 11-18 - Saturday, February 12, 9:30am-3:30pm - Registration Req. - $60

Northwest Como Rec Center (1550 N. Hamline) - PDF Flyer

• Outdoor Fun Event - Friday, January 21, 6-8pm - Free Event
• Musical Theatre ages 6-10 - Thursdays beginning January 27 - Registration Req. - $110
• Artist Workshop ages 5-8 - Wednesdays beginning February 2 - Registration Req. - $60
• Jazz/Ballet/Hip Hop ages 6-10 - Mondays beginning February 7 - Registration Req. - $70
• Creative Movement ages 3-6 - Mondays beginning February 7 - Registration Req. - $62
• Adult Corn Hole ages 18+ - Wednesdays through February 23 - Free
• Red Cross Babysitting Training ages 11-18 - Friday, April 15, 9:30am-3:30pm - Registration Req. - $60

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.

Note: Although adult programs are also listed in the catalog, they do not qualify for Fee Assistance credits.

Neighborhood Notes

• The Great Northern Festival has applied for a sound variance for the Slow Show performance at the Como Pavilion to be held on Friday, February 4th from 4 pm - 7 pm and Saturday, February 5th from 11 am - 3 pm with a soundcheck from 11 am - 12 noon.

• K&L Sales: The second-hand dealer’s license for this used-car lot at Como and Arona is up for renewal on March 29. Anyone with input should email the Como Community Council or contact the office of Ward 4 Council Member Mitra Jalali: ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

MSP Cyber Seed Crawl 2022: National Seed Swap Day Edition

Saturday, January 29, 8am-1pm on Facebook

Join fellow Twin City gardeners and growers for another distanced seed swap! This time it is the National Seed Swap Day edition and all seed categories are accepted: vegetables, herbs, natives, perennials, annuals and more. This is the 5th Cyber Seed Crawl event that has been offered for Minneapolis and St. Paul gardeners since 2020, and continues to be an engaging, economical and covid-safe way to augment your seed collection. We return to Facebook for the National Seed Swap Day Edition to allow for interaction and engagement with fellow gardeners as we discuss seeds, our favorite varieties and get questions answered. We hope you participate; Receiving free seeds in the mail or on your doorstep is just the antidote for the doldrums of winter!

For more information and instructions on how to participate please read the Facebook Event details.

This swap is organized by Como Community Seed Library, garden activist Stephanie Hankerson, Minnesota State Horticulture Society community programs director and urban farmer Courtney Tchida, and Hothouse Horticulture owner Anna McLafferty. 

Snowstravaganza Event Coming to Falcon Heights February 12

Falcon Heights has been working to bring back their annual winter event. The newly named Snowstravaganza event will include horse-drawn carriage rides, a bonfire and s’mores, free snowshoe rental, winter activities for children, and more.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 12th from 1-3 p.m. to join in some winter fun at Community Park (2050 Roselawn Ave. W) in Falcon Heights.

MnDOT Name a Snowplow Contest Returns

MnDOT's popular Name a Snowplow contest is back for a second year. The top 50 finalists of the nearly 11,000 submissions are now open for voting.

Choose up to eight of your favorite names before midnight on Wednesday, January 26. Winners will be announced in early February.

Thanks to Como community member Julie Ann Wegscheid for suggesting this for the weekly newsletter!

Public hearing for revised Ramsey County park ordinance Feb. 8

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the revised Ramsey County Parks & Recreation Ordinance on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 9 a.m.

The ordinance revision process aims to:

• Respond to long-standing community feedback about park access.
• View the ordinance through a racial equity lens.
• Modernize the ordinance and address contemporary park issues.

Changes were made to result in an ordinance that is:

• Equitable.
• Consistent and streamlined.
• Promotes greater enjoyment of the parks.
• Ensures user safety.
• Protects park facilities, property and natural resources.

View proposed ordinance and hearing details. 

The board will review public comment and testimony at the Feb. 8 meeting. If you wish to speak, register in advance by completing the comment registration form or by contacting the Chief Clerk’s Office at 651-266-8014.

Green Ramsey - Food Saving Tip of The Month: Stock Buckets

Veggie scraps, like carrot and potato peels, onion skins, mushroom stems and celery leaves, can be used to make homemade broth. Use a clean small container or resealable bag labelled “Stock Bucket” to collect veggie trimmings during the week’s cooking. Store tightly covered in the fridge or freezer. Then, boil the scraps in water to make a broth that can be used in soups, stews, braises, hot-dishes and more. After making broth, put well-drained scraps in your food scraps container to be composted.

Here’s the process in action (video: 5 min.).

COVID-19 Vaccines & Testing

Everyone age 5 and older can get vaccinated

Free COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone age five or older. You can get vaccinated at free clinics operated by the state of Minnesota, at health care clinics and pharmacies. 

Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health also has COVID-19 vaccine at multiple clinics it operates. Read more at https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/vaxforkids/

• Appointments are required at most clinics and registration is available online at ramseycounty.us/COVIDvaccine.
• The vaccine is free; no medical insurance or government-issued ID is required.
• Kids age 5-11 will receive the pediatric dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
• Youths must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to be vaccinated.

Visit ramseycounty.us/COVIDvaccine for updates on new clinics and registration links. Call Public Health’s vaccine phone line at 651-266-1190 (Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) with questions. Limited walk-in appointments available. 

Boosters available for anyone 12 and up

Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health now has booster shots for anyone 12 years and older who received their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least 6 months ago.

Why do I need a booster shot?

• COVID-19 vaccines are very effective, but new data shows protection may decrease over time. This is normal and expected.
• Booster shots are common for many vaccines, like the flu shot or Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis).
• Video: Why are COVID-19 vaccine booster shots necessary? - Minnesota Department of Health.

Learn more about booster shots and find where they are available. 

Who should get tested

The Minnesota Department of Health recommends testing for COVID-19 in several situations according to exposure, symptoms and vaccination status.

Learn who should get tested

Find testing sites ramseycounty.us/Testing.

• Saliva PCR tests are recommended for people with or without symptoms, with results in 24 to 72 hours.
• Rapid antigen tests are recommended for people with symptoms, with results in one to three hours.

A free at-home saliva testing kit is also available from the state of Minnesota. This past week the federal government also launched covidtests.gov for more free at-home testing options.