May 13, 2022 | Friday

Como Garage Sale Weekend!

Thursday, May 12 through Sunday, May 15, Various times

You can view the Sale Map on our website, including details about days, hours, and what each sale has to offer! Start making your plans to go shopping right here in the neighborhood!

Thanks and good luck to everyone who registered their sale!

D10 Meeting Updates

D10 Board Meeting - Tuesday, May 17, 7pm on Zoom

The D10 Board meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7pm. Meetings are open to the public and have space for community members to bring topics for discussion.

Next week the board will approve annual committee appointments, hear a quarterly financial report from our new Treasurer, and have a discussion about the timing and considerations of moving to hybrid meetings. 

Lawns To Legumes: Pollinator Meetings!

The Saint Paullinators of South Como (who are working with the D10 Lawns to Legume grant) are kicking off the season with Neighborhood Pollinator Meetings. While the meetings are going to talk about the work that is happening in South Como, the educational piece is for anyone interested in making their neighborhood a more pollinator friendly community. 

This Saturday (May 14th) at 10am we'll be welcoming "bug lady" Margot Munson from St. Anthony Park to teach about all things insects and pollinators. This interactive event will be fun for all ages, so bring a chair to the Orchard Rec Center tennis courts (875 Orchard Ave), meet some neighbors, and learn as much as you can about insects!

If you want to know more about the Saint Paullinators of South Como, upcoming events or volunteer opportunities, go to district10comopark.org/L2L.

Capitol Improvement Budget Applications

The St. Paul District Councils have again been asked to help score the applications for the Capitol Improvement Budget (CIB) funding. This requires reviewing 36 applications for projects throughout the city and scoring them using a point system provided by the city.

You can view all of the applications and scoring guide here on the D10 website, including two submitted by D10 (Numbers 8 and 9). If you would like to share any feedback you have to help us score the projects, you can email district10@district10comopark.org. Scoring is due June 3.

Get Involved: Como Lake Clean-Up - May 21

The Como Community Council, in partnership with the Capital Region Watershed District, is planning an in-person lake clean-up on Saturday, May 21 beginning at 9am. Get together with others in the community to clean trash from the lake surface or shoreline. We’ll meet near the dock on the lower level lake side of the Como Pavilion to pick up tools, supplies, and have refreshments.

You are welcome to borrow tools (grabbers, rakes, buckets, nets) while our supplies last. We’ll also have plenty of disposable supplies (trash bags, nitrile gloves) for you to use. Or feel free to provide your own gear.

While not a requirement, registering ahead of time helps us plan refreshments and communicate changes. Please register before May 2.

Get Involved: Como Stewards

There are still 10 parcels in Como Park needing stewards - Could it be you?

Last year the D10 Environment Committee, in partnership with St. Paul Parks & Rec, invited individuals or groups to volunteer and give back and to help keep our regional treasure welcoming for everyone with the launch of the Como Stewards Program.

We invite you to consider signing up for one of the open areas of the park for the sophomore year of the program.

As a Como Park Steward, you will participate in ongoing clean up, special clean-up events, work with the city departments to report tree and natural damage, graffiti, safety, and other concerns. We ask for a minimum commitment of one-year with visits twice monthly.

Look at all available parcels on the Como Steward Program map. After you complete your registration, you will be contacted about parcel selection. 

May 26 Como Community Blood Drive Reservations

D10 Como Park is again partnering with the American Red Cross and the Como Zoo & Conservatory to host community blood drives at the Zoo. Reservations are only available for the May 26 event at this time.

Upcoming Drive Dates:

• Thursday, May 26, 2022 – 9am-3pm
• Tuesday, August 2, 2022 – 9am-3pm

With the pandemic lingering and so many still working from home, workplace blood drives have all but vanished, affecting the Red Cross’ reserve levels. Community blood drives are the perfect opportunity to take a break from the home office or start a trip to the zoo! 

We're still looking for a couple check-in table volunteers for the Noon to 3pm shift at the August 2 drive. It’s light work and a great way to connect with a neighbor. If you’re interested in volunteering, you can reach out to district10@district10comopark.org.

D10 Owl Mascot Design Competition

Last year, our community voted on the Great Horned Owl as the District 10 mascot. This past month we asked the community to help us with a design for our Great Horned Owl mascot, and now it's time to vote for the winning submission!

You can vote for your favorite online or at our upcoming events through June 5. We will reveal the winning design at the Ice Cream Social on July 9th!

Exhibitors Wanted: Eco Fair

August 13, 2022 in Como Park

There is still time to be a part of the 2022 ECO FAIR this year!

The event is coordinated by Donate Good Stuff, District 10/Como, District 12/SAP, ReUse Minnesota, and Zero Waste St. Paul and will be a great day of coming together for sustainable living.

1. Not-for-profit organizations: sign up to take part!
2. Businesses: Sponsorship & exhibit opportunities, too
3. General Event Info

PLEASE SHARE. The more awesome vendors, the better the event!

VOLUNTEERS: will be needed. Follow our event page for the latest.

Save The Date:  Como Art Fair

Saturday, July 16, 2022, 10am-2pm at Como Pavilion

The annual Como Fest Art Fair is back!

Mark your calendar to check out great local artisans on Saturday, July 16, 2022, 10am-2pm under the stone pavilion by beautiful Como Lake (1360 Lexington Parkway N in Como Park). 

There will also live music & food/refreshments by Dock & Paddle (for purchase on the patio).

Are you an artist ready to sell your creations? Contact AndreaLynn Hamlin: alpj1448@gmail.com

Come for the Art Fair, and stay for the day in Como Park!! You can enjoy water sports on Como Lake, explore Como Zoo and the gorgeous Marjorie McNeely Conservatory . 

We can’t wait to see you at the Como Fest Art Fair!!

Como Pavilion South Parking Lot Construction Schedule

The trail closure along the west lakeshore of Como Lake will remain through the weekend. Please follow the detours.

(Same as last week)

The construction schedule is weather dependent, but the City hopes to have the South Parking Lot complete by early June. They are working on a plan for opening the lot for Memorial Day weekend. The parking lot will be closed while it is under construction, though pedestrian paths will be kept open for much of the time around the site as long as they can ensure safe pedestrian movement. 

Following completion of the south parking lot, the north parking lot will be closed for reconstruction and reopened in early July (weather pending). Pedestrian paths may have detours signed if pathways are impacted by construction to keep pedestrians safe.

Lastly, the golf course parking lot will begin construction on September 6, just after Labor Day. It will be fully closed while it is under construction. The city is working with the contractor to complete the parking lot construction before the end of 2022, though it will continue to be weather dependent.

The city will continue updating the project page on their website as the construction dates solidify. The final plans were presented to the D10 Land Use Committee back in October, you can watch the recording here on our website.

Como Parks & Rec

North Dale Rec Center (1414 N. St. Albans)

• STEAM Camp ages 7-11 - Week of June 20 - $210*
• StarEye Camp ages 8-12 - Week of June 27 - $50*
• Volleyball Camp ages 13-17 - Week of June 27 - $50*
• Jr Engineering Camp: Crazy Gears and Wheels ages 6-9 - Week of July 11 - $100*
• Basketball Stars Camps ages 11-14 - Week of July 11 - Free*
• Super Mario Game Coding Camp ages 9-12 - Week of July 11 - $110*

Northwest Como Rec Center (1550 N. Hamline)

• Badminton Camp ages 9-13 - Week of June 13 - $82*
• Jr Full Speed Ahead Camp ages 5-9 - Week of Jun 21 - $138*
• Trapped: Engineers Escape Room Camp ages 9-13 - Week of June 21 - $138*
• Multiplayer Minecraft: Mini-Game Builder ages 8-11 - Week of June 27 - $110*
• 3D Printing & CAD Camp ages 11-14 - Week of June 27 - $120*
• StarEye Art Camp ages 8-12 - Week of July 11 - $50*

*Registration Required

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.

Neighborhood Notes

Upcoming License Renewals

• Como Lakeside Pavilion (1360 Lexington Pkwy): Liquor and Entertainment licenses are up for renewal June 4. Anyone with input should email the Como Community Council or contact the office of Ward 5 Council Member Amy Brendmoen: ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us.
• D&L Food and Gas (626 Larpenteur Ave): Gas Station license is up for renewal July 28. Anyone with input should email the Como Community Council or contact the office of Ward 5 Council Member Amy Brendmoen: ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us.
• Como Zoo & Conservatory (1225 Estabrook Dr.): Liquor license is up for renewal July 28. Anyone with input should email the Como Community Council or contact the office of Ward 5 Council Member Amy Brendmoen: ward5@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Gun Violence Memorial Event

Saturday, May 14, 2022 11am-3pm at Rondo Library

Everytown for Gun Safety will be collecting objects in St. Paul at the Rondo Library (461 Dale St. N). The memorial seeks to preserve individual memories and communicate the magnitude of the issue in built space and hopes to foster a national healing process that begins with a recognition of the collective loss and its impact on society.

It is now open at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. It comprises four houses, each built of 700 glass bricks, a reference to the number of people in the U.S. killed by guns every week. Over time, the bricks will continue to be filled with remembrance objects donated by immediate family members of loved ones taken by gun violence, that reveal the personal narratives of each victim. To learn more about the project and the size and other requirements of submitting your remembrance object, please visit https://www.gunviolencememorialproject.org/

Residential Transit Pass for Renters

Residential Pass is a deeply discounted unlimited use transit pass designed specifically for multifamily developments of 10 units or more. Through this unique program, properties that purchase one pass per unit in a building will be eligible to purchase the transit passes for $14 per month/pass, which is an 88% discount from the full price of $120 per month for each pass.

This program must go through the property owner/management. If you're a renter you can share this link with your property manager and encourage them to sign up! https://www.metrotransit.org/residential-pass

Keystone Free Farmer’s Market

Friday May 20, 10am-12pm at Allianz Field

This will be a free drive-through event. Each household will receive 5-7 kinds of fruits and vegetables.

All are welcome! This event is open to anyone in need. Please sign up for quick service and to help us manage traffic.

This is the first of several Free Farmer’s Market events that Keystone will host this year. You can find the dates and locations on Keystone's website.

Keystone offers support and connection for people in our community. Please share this event information with your family, friends, and neighbors.

2022 Homeless Needs Assessment Community Survey

Heading Home Ramsey (HHR) is the Saint Paul/Ramsey County Continuum of Care that plans services for people experiencing homelessness.

Every two years, HHR is federally mandated to conduct a needs assessment of our homeless service response system to determine what services are working well and identify gaps in services to further support our community members who are facing housing instability or homelessness.

HHR is asking for community participation in their 2022 Needs Assessment. The recommendations they received from Ramsey County residents and business stakeholders in the 2020 needs assessment helped support decisions to develop an outreach program for families experiencing homelessness, increase emergency shelter capacity, develop daytime shelters (or drop-in centers) to further support community members experiencing homelessness, and support advocacy efforts to preserve exiting affordable housing and develop new affordable housing options.

Homelessness impacts everyone in our community. This is a survey that asks about your perceptions of homelessness and your recommendations for how we, as a community, can best improve our response to homelessness.

The Ramsey County Resident & Business Stakeholder Survey is open through May 20, 2022. The survey takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Upcoming Crime Prevention Unit Events

Block Leaders Virtual Meet-Up

Monday, May 23rd at 6pm

Open to block leaders or interested community members. There will be two guest presenters for the evening:

• The Dispute Resolution Center discussing their programs around mediation and community healing. "At SPPD we encourage residents to explore using services to resolve neighbor disputes that do not rise to the need of police intervention. We also recognize that many blocks in our community have suffered from community violence and services to work with residents to heal is critical." 
• Ramsey County Emergency Communications will present on how 911 currently operates including call priorities, staffing, and what services they dispatch. They will also provide information on the work of the 9-1-1 Appropriate Responses Initiative.

Virtual Netsmartz Workshop

Wednesday, May 25 at 6pm 

Presentation for parents about protecting your children online. As kids spend more time online; parents need to be aware that safety issues for children online. This is the first offering of this workshop.

Community Members Invited to Shape 2023 City Budget

The city is hosting a series of 5 virtual community conversations this spring to engage community members in shaping the 2023 city budget.

Led by the Office of Financial Services, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, the 2 remaining virtual community conversations will be held on Microsoft Teams. The sessions are free, and open to the public. Community members interested in participating can register here.   

• Tuesday, May 24 – 6:30-7:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, June 2 – 6:30-7:30 p.m.