Quick note about our newsletters: You may have noticed we go a little long here in the D10 Newsletters. Our limited but intensive focus groups have indicated they LOVE this about the newsletter, but it's been suggested we make sure people know that the emails are usually [Message clipped] and you can click the "View entire message" link when the email seems to end abruptly...usually around the Rec Programming material. We appreciate everyone who reads, and especially those who get "below the fold"!! | |
Join Us Next Week
D10 Community Meeting- 1st Wednesdays - May 1, 7pm
Hybrid on Zoom and @ Como Streetcar Station (1224 Lexington Pkwy)
The first Wednesday of every month typically hosts our Environment and Neighborhood Relations committee topics for discussion and planning, as well as guest presentations related to those issues. Occasionally time sensitive Land Use and Board/Organizational items are included on the agenda as well.
Next week we will check-in with Dawn Lamm from the Como Seed Library and MnSEED, continue planning for our May Orchard Rec Community Event, 2024 Como Cleanups, recap the Art Crawl, discuss the 6-month mark of our D10 Socials, and other upcoming opportunities. Open to all, come join us!
| |
New in 2024: Como Neighborhood Cleanup Kits!
The Como Community Council, in partnership with the Capital Region Watershed District, is now offering Neighborhood Cleanup Kits for community members or organizations to borrow to lead their own cleanup events.
Each Kit Includes:
- 15 Trash Grabbers
- 15 Hi-Vis Vests
- Bags and Gloves
Plan a cleanup in your neighborhood or add one to your annual block party this summer!
To reserve a kit please reach out to us. Reserve one kit for any event or two for a larger cleanup!
| |
Save the Date: Pick Up and Party
Sat. May 4 4:30-6:30pm @ Orchard Rec Center (875 W. Orchard Ave.)
Join us for the 3rd Annual Pick Up and Party event at Orchard Rec Center on May 4 from 4:30-6:30pm. This year, we're changing it up a bit and adding pick up baseball, softball, & soccer games and activities in the field. Come and enjoy a FREE community picnic, Now Make Art craft for all ages, live music, local organizations, and the Sweet Frucci Ice Cream truck ($).
Interested in volunteering? Fill out our volunteer form!
| |
Get Involved: Lake Como Cleanup - May 14
Tue, May 14 5-8pm, sign-in at Como Pavilion Lakeside (down by the docks)
THANK YOU to everyone who showed up to last weekend's Como Park Cleanup event!
We're planning our first 2024 LAKE Cleanup for Tuesday, May 14, 5-8pm. These events, in partnership with the Capitol Region Watershed District, focus on the shoreline and Lake Como itself.
District 10 provides trash-grabbers, rakes, buckets, nets, trash bags, and nitrile gloves for those who need them. Or, feel free to provide your own gear. Registration (before May 13) is not required, but it helps us plan and communicate if changes come up.
| |
Sign up: 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.
| |
Give Blood in Como
Thursday, May 23, 9am-3pm @ Como Zoo
D10 Como Park partners with the American Red Cross and the Como Zoo & Conservatory to host community blood drives at the Zoo. Appointments are now available for our next event: Thursday, May 23, 9am-3pm. Space is limited, reservations required.
Please consider giving blood, with so many still working from home, workplace blood drives have all but vanished, these community drives make a huge impact!
DONOR PROMOTION: Come to give blood May 20 to June 9 for an EXCLUSIVE Red Cross shirt, while supplies last!
| |
Weigh In: Community Survey on St. Paul District Councils
Hello! We are St. Catherine Students conducting a survey for the public and we need your help! We ask that you please take a few moments to complete this survey using the link below. Your feedback is valuable and will help the District Councils better serve you. We hope to create a good lasting relationship for the communities. Thank you for your time and contribution!
| |
|
St. Paul Art Crawl
The St. Paul Art Collective's (SPAC) Spring Art Crawl is happening April 12-28 throughout the city, including right here in Como! You can find the full list of venues being assembled here on SPAC's website.
Neighborhood Locales include:
Find all of the Art Crawl locations on the SPAC website.
| |
Como Park Long-Range Plan Public Comment Period ENDS TODAY
The official public comment period for the Como Regional Park Long-Range Plan document began Monday, March 25 and goes through Friday, April 26. The 90% DRAFT document is posted online at the Engage Saint Paul website, where there is a link for public comments.
The Como Regional Park Long-Range Plan is a conceptual planning document that provides a framework to guide future growth, development, and maintenance of Como Regional Park. The purpose of the LRP is to serve as an update to the previous Como Regional Park Planning document developed in 1984. The primary focus of the update is to improve the existing connections between the trails around Como Lake to Saint Paul's city-wide Grand Round trail network. A secondary focus of the plan update is to improve accessibility, wayfinding, safety features, and to Identify and prioritize additional amenities for future inclusion within Como Regional Park.
The list of projects included in the survey was based on recommendations from the Design Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, targeted community outreach efforts, and the current and anticipated Saint Paul Staff needs. The responses from this survey will be used in combination with priorities identified by City staff, funding opportunities, and regulatory requirements to guide development at Como Regional Park in the coming decades.
More Como Regional Park Projects
| |
Mending the Social Fabric: A Vegan Meal to Nourish Threads of Anti-Racism
Tue, April 30 6-8pm @ St. Timothy Lutheran Church (1465 Victoria St N)
St. Timothy Lutheran Church will host a meal and conversation with two leaders of anti-racism work and advocacy, Ms. Jewelean Jackson and Ms. Kate Towle. Through dialogue and invitation into small group discussions, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Towle will guide attendees through the questions of how we work towards racial equity in our personal lives, through relationships across difference, and in our society. A nourishing vegan soul food dinner will be provided by Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan, founder of Vegan Byy Nature.
This is a free event open to the public. Attendance is limited. Please RSVP by April 23 to Pastor Liesl at pastorliesl@sttimothylutheran.org. A free will donation will be accepted to the evening’s caterer, Vegan Byy Nature, which donates meals to unsheltered communities in the Twin Cities.
| |
|
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.
| |
Save the Date: Growing For Good May 18
Sat, May 18 Noon-2pm @ Como Park Lutheran (1376 Hoyt Ave)
Como Park Lutheran Church is hosting an educational growing event to learn about pollinators, gardening, and the importance of sharing.
Special features include activities for kids, tools swapping, local honey tasting, talking to a Master Gardener, and more.
They will also be kicking off their Como Grow A Row Project for 2024 at this event.
Find more information here on their website.
| |
Como Parks & Rec Programming
Youth Summer Camps and Activities registration is now open.
An Insider's Look at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
Have you ever wondered what it’s like before hours at the Zoo and Conservatory? Find out in their Adult Program: An Insider’s Look!, Sat, April 27 8-10am. This behind-the-scenes experience will teach participants about Como's unique history and engage with zookeepers preparing for the day. Registration is required. $25*
*Train Like a Hero ages 6+ @ McMurray Fields May 11 - $10*
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.
| |
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. There will be a public hearing at the May 1 City Council Meeting, find ways to submit a comment here on the city's website.
- An application for a sound level variance has been received for City of Lakes Community Band, for a Como Pavilion Concert Series event on Tuesday June 18, 2024 7-8:30pm, with a pre-event sound check at 6:30pm. The event will take place at 1360 Lexington Pkwy N - Como Lakeside Pavilion. Further details on a public hearing will be forthcoming.
Upcoming License Renewals*
-
Como Lakeside Pavilion (1360 Lexington Pkwy): Liquor and Entertainment licenses are up for renewal June 4. 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.
| |
Opportunity to Take Action -
Proposed Legislation on Copper Wire Theft
There is proposed Legislation on any person buying or selling scrap copper metal. HF4461 / SF4455. We urge you to take a few minutes to read the proposed language and contact your legislator to state your opinion or position on it. You can read about the resent press conference Mayor Carter and Rep. Hollins held here.
The bill requires any person who is buying or selling copper metal to have a license issued by the state. Persons licensed to perform electrical work are deemed to hold a license. Copper materials could still be recycled for free with scrap metal companies.
Street Lighting and Wire Theft
stpaul.gov/public-works/street-lighting
If you didn't attend the meeting, you can read about various steps the City has taken to slow or prevent wire theft (see Wire Theft FAQs on the webpage). No one practice or idea can stop all wire theft, but making it more difficult and less profitable will slow thefts.
Street lights are not the only place wire is being stolen from. Thieves have also vandalized traffic signals, EV charging stations, heating & cooling systems, and more from both businesses and private homes. If you see anything suspicious call 911.
Camera Watch
If you have a security camera such as a Ring doorbell or other system, consider joining Camera Watch. Register your camera location and coverage area. If an incident happens in the camera location, the SPPD may contact you to review the video to see if anything was captured by your system. This is completely voluntary. Read more about it at stpaul.gov/police/community-engagement-division/CameraWatch
| |
Arts and Crafts Swaps
Fri, Apr. 26 3-5pm and Sat, Apr 27 10am-Noon (no items will be accepted after 11:30am) @ Arlington Hills Community Center (1200 Payne Ave)
Create something new from something old! Swap your unwanted or gently used arts and crafts supplies at the Arts and Crafts Swaps this weekend.
Drop off craft supplies you no longer want or browse the shelves for something new. You don’t have to bring an item to participate. All items will be exchanged freely.
For more information, visit stpaul.gov/recycle.
| |
Spring Street Sweeping Happening
Saint Paul Public Works began Spring street sweeping this week. They again make the following request for the community to help do this effectively:
-
Move vehicles and follow all posted temporary “No Parking” signs. The city will post temporary “No Parking” signs 24 hours in advance of sweeping operations. Vehicles parked in areas with “No Parking” signs could be ticketed and towed.
-
Follow all posted overnight “No Parking” signs. Many of the city’s arterial streets, including downtown, have posted signs indicating an overnight timeframe that residents are not allowed to park on the street. This allows sweeping crews to safely do maintenance operations with less traffic on the busy streets. Residents are encouraged to look around their neighborhood for these overnight no parking signs and move their vehicles accordingly.
-
Do not push any materials, including leaves, grass, or debris into the street. Please properly bag and dispose of any leaves, dirt, and grass clippings. Residents can take materials to Ramsey County compost sites, use their residential yard waste services, or if the resident is part of the Citywide Garbage Service, they can put out compostable yard waste bags with their garbage service to be collected at $3 per bag.
-
Do not put garbage or recycling carts in the street. Please make sure carts are only placed on the boulevard, not the street.
-
Adopt A Drain. Residents can help protect our waterways by adopting a storm drain in their neighborhood. By adopting a storm drain (or two), these residents promise to help keep it free of debris in the coming months. Learn more at www.stpaul.gov/adoptadrain.

Saint Paul Public Works sweeps all 530 miles of residential streets twice a year, once in the spring and another in the fall. More than 330 miles of alleys are swept in the spring. Approximately 340 miles of arterial (main) streets are swept at least eight times each year between April and October.
For more information, including a map and schedule about Saint Paul’s street sweeping operations, visit www.stpaul.gov/sweep.
| |
2024 STAR grant applications thru May 15
The 2024 grant applications for the City of Saint Paul’s Neighborhood STAR and Cultural STAR programs are now open!
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.
| |
Saint Paul Neighborhoods Walkability Survey
Last summer, D14 Macalester Groveland Community Council conducted a small survey to learn about people's walking habits and experiences. This week, they launched the 2024 survey, and hope to get responses from across Saint Paul. We encourage all our neighbors to take the survey.
The survey is short and anonymous: https://forms.gle/8KNABpoDajoTBLwH7
The goal is to collect some basic information on walking behaviors and needs, as such data is rare for most cities, including ours. This year they ask about slips, falls and (near) crashes. They have taken a multi-year, iterative approach, and hope to have a 2025 version next year.
The survey is currently open until May 10.
| |
Workshops hosted by the St. Paul Police Department
-
April 30 4:30-9pm: Car Seat Clinic @ Western District-389 Hamline Ave N. Families are encouraged to schedule an appointment to have certified car seat techs check the installation of their car seats. It’s a great opportunity for expecting parents, parents who are concerned that their child has outgrown their seat, or it is not fitting correctly. 6 in 10 seats are installed incorrectly. To register families can contact Patty Lammers at 651-266-5455 or patricia.lammers@stpaul.gov.
-
May 11 9am-Noon: Train Like a Hero @ McMurray Fields (1151 Jessamine Ave. W). This a free family event to learn to train like police, fire, army etc. (More Info)
-
Safe Summer Nights- Dates and locations vary. SPPD's annual schedule of community BBQ’s set. (More Info)
-
Tue, Aug. 6: National Night Out - 2024 registration is open for National Night Out. They are running an early bird contest thru June 28. To register an event: www.stpaul.gov/nno.
| |
Ramsey County Environmental Resources
Ramsey County adopts groundbreaking
Climate Equity Action Plan
First Green Ramsey Expo and Career Fair scheduled for May 1
Developed by County staff, community, and key partners the Climate Equity Action Plan aims to reduce greenhouse gases and help community survive and thrive in changing climate conditions that cause harmful health impacts through poor air quality, extreme heat, flooding and more disease-carrying insects.
Using the Minnesota Climate Action Framework as its base, the county reviewed this framework against its existing work and then went directly to community to receive extensive input on what else was needed to respond to climate change and increase community resilience.
The Climate Equity Action Plan’s mitigation and adaptation strategies focus on six areas:
- Clean transportation.
- Thriving communities.
- Healthy lives.
- Clean energy and efficient buildings.
- Climate-smart natural land.
- Clean economy.
The plan calls on the county to continue the great work that departments are already doing to respond to climate change and to identify more resources to mitigate and address the effects of climate change. This work is laid out in near-, middle-, and long-term actions across all county departments. Some near-term actions include:
- Providing technical assistance, environmental education and resources to community and partners.
- Convening a community led Equitable Climate Action Resident Advisory Team to review county progress and plans. The team will also give feedback on how to improve equitable outcomes and work with the county to establish continuous metrics to assess progress.
- Finding and coordinating funding opportunities to help implement climate work.
- Continuing the work of an internal cross-departmental Climate Change Governance Team.
- Hiring additional staff to increase capacity to implement the Climate Equity Action Plan.
As part of these near-term actions, the county will host its first Green Ramsey Expo and Career Fair at the Wilder Foundation on Wednesday, May 1 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. This free public event will feature jobs available in green-collar careers in emerging industries as well as businesses and trades that have shifted to more sustainable practices. It will also have information from a variety of organizations committed to recycling, creating green space, and environmental clean-up on hand. Job seekers and anyone interested in learning more about environmental activities in the county are encouraged to attend.
More information coming soon at ramseycounty.us/ClimateAction.
To read the full Ramsey County Climate Equity Action Plan or view a glossary of plan terms and definitions visit ramseycounty.us/ClimateEquity.
| |
|
Extra Mulch At Ramsey County Yard Waste Sites
Extra mulch will be available through April at Ramsey County yard waste sites in Arden Hills, Frank and Sims (Saint Paul), Midway (Saint Paul) and White Bear Township. Ramsey County residents may take the mulch for free on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring your own shovel and collection containers. Learn more about yard waste at RamseyRecycles.com/YardWaste
| |
Donate Your Old Clothing
Consider donating clothing you no longer want as the weather begins to warm up and you think about refreshing your wardrobe. While you’re there shop for something new to you! By buying used, you keep usable clothing out of the garbage and give it a second life! To find local thrift, vintage, and consignment stores near you, visit www.RamseyRecycles.com/AtoZ.
| |
Compost Drop Off
Around 30% of household garbage is food waste. Bring Food Scraps to a Drop-off collection site so they can be recycled into compost. There are 8 Food Scraps Drop-off locations in the City of Saint Paul. To find site locations, hours, and to learn more about organics recycling visit www.stpaul.gov/organics. There's one in Como on the West side of McMurray Fields.
| |
What's Happening At The Fairgrounds? | |
Minnesota Horse Expo
April 16-28
| |
DESCRIPTION
This event is a combination of speakers, vendors, horses and more. The 2024 Minnesota Horse Expo will feature 2 PRCA Rodeo performances - Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Coliseum.
LOCATION
Warner Coliseum
HOURS
Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ADMISSION
Visit the website for admission prices, including the PRCA Rodeo.
| |
Have something you'd like us to consider sharing in our newsletter? Email us at district10@district10comopark.org | |  |
|
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!
| | | | | |
