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It's Spring! Let's Go Fly a Kite Up
to the Highest Heights!
A Free Public Art Event on Sunday, April 22, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be held on Harriet Island. A thousand blue kites will fill the air and hundreds of wind chimes will sound throughout the day on the banks of the Mississippi River on Earth Day, April 22, 2007. St. Paul Artist-in-Residence Marcus Young and a team of artists, along with many environmental, peace, arts and cultural organizations, are creating a free, contemporary art event. Wishes for the Sky is a nature-inspired day of wishing and promising. The event is an interactive experience inviting audiences to realize a work of public art. We invite you to: Play the wind chime sculpture Create wishes in the wish-making pavilion Make “Promises to the Earth” to adopt sustainable practices And fly a kite to carry your wish to the sky. Everyone is welcome to attend this free, zero-waste Earth Day event any time from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, April 22, 2007. Come rain or shine to celebrate our earth. For more information visit: www.WishesForTheSky.org. DAYTON’S BLUFF DISTRICT PLAN COMMUNITY MEETINGS After many meetings and community surveys, the new District Plan is completed and will be presented to the Dayton’s Bluff Community in two gatherings this month. Tuesday April 17 6:30 - 8:30pm Mounds Theatre 1029 Hudson Road at Earl St. Saturday April 21 10:30am - 12:30pm Metropolitan State University Maria Ave. at E. 7th St. in the Great Hall (free MSU parking vouchers will be available at this meeting). All residents, property owners, and business owners are strongly encouraged to attend one or both of these free meetings. Copies of the plan will be available at the meetings. Any specific changes proposed at these meetings will be considered by the Council at its May 21st Board meeting before the plan is forwarded to the city. The District Plan committee of the Community Council spent many hours in meetings to review and tabulate the surveys, develop language to reflect the community input received, and put together the final plan. When submitted to the city, the Dayton’s Bluff District Plan will be incorporated into the overall city plan. For more information contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@daytonsbluff.org There are Walking Trails in Dayton's Bluff By Claudia EgelhoffIn an urban area like St. Paul we are not likely to get much new parkland. But our park experience can be expanded by a network of trails connecting existing urban parks. On the east side of St. Paul this means, above all, the six-mile long Bruce Vento Regional Trail. In Fall 2006, the city of St Paul installed directional signs to the Bruce Vento Trail at seven intersections from Swede Hollow Park to Phalen Lake. Their purpose was to increase resident awareness of the trail and encourage its use, whether for walking, biking or rollerblading. Many of these newly signed intersections allow residents to park cars near the trail or direct walkers from residential neighborhoods to the trail. Funds to fabricate and install these signs came from the Steps to a Healthier MN-St. Paul. This initiative is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state and local governments to promote programs that encourage individual behavior changes to reduce the burden of chronic disease. Later this spring, work on the new Lower Phalen Creek Trail will be completed. The Bruce Vento Trail will then extend out of Swede Hollow Park, connect with the Mounds Park Trail at the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, and feed into the Lowertown district. Dayton’s Bluff residents will then have easy work or shopping access to downtown St. Paul on foot or by bike. The next step in trail construction involves linking the east Metro trail system with the Sam Morgan Trail that runs along the Mississippi River. A task force has taken public comments on various design options for bridges and/or tunnels hear the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. Construction is anticipated to begin in two to three years. For more information on these developments, contact holly_larson@nps.gov. Dayton's Bluff Preservation Evening We still need your help with this event. We are asking residents to bring their stories, pictures, picture boards, scrap books, etc. on big and little home repair projects to share. Last year residents brought photos, picture boards, and stories about kitchen, bathroom, porch, and whole house projects. Email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075 if you can help or for more information. Do you want to learn more about repairing and preserving your home? Curious about your houses history? The third annual Dayton’s Bluff Preservation Evening is April 26th. from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event will take place in the Ecolab Community Room, third floor of Metropolitan State University/Dayton’s Bluff Library, just west of the intersection of Seventh and Maria Come and hear about historically sympathetic home preservation and repair. Dayton’s Bluff has a historic district, and many beautiful homes are in all parts of Dayton’s Bluff. Neighbors have had extensive experience preserving and repairing their homes. Some of these neighbors will be on hand to speak about their homes and show before and after images. If you have a historic home you want to preserve and research and don’t know where to start, you can learn about researching your home and its previous owners. Hear from experts in the field, who offer technical advice, assessment, and hard-to-find classes such as historic masonry. Metropolitan State’s Center for Community-Based Learning, Dayton’s Bluff District 4 Community Council, and the Dayton’s Bluff Branch of the St. Paul Public Library are co-sponsoring the event. For more information, call Rebecca Ryan at 651-793-1296. Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Home Tour
The 2007 Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Home Tour will be held on Saturday, April 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 29th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is part of the Minneapolis – St. Paul Home Tour sponsored by the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The Home Tour is free of charge and open to the public. The complete listing of all the homes on the tour will be found in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Home Tour Brochure which will be included with next month’s issue of the Forum. The Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Home Tour features beautiful homes, and buildings being redeveloped into condominiums including 770 East 6th Street, 1047 Wilson, 895 Mound Street, 771 East Minnehaha, 658-666 East 4th Street, and 1158 East 5th Street. Volunteers are needed to help with the Home Tour. Volunteering consists of greeting people at the door to give out brochures and information about Dayton’s Bluff, and helping the homeowners for a few hours either day. If you are interested, please email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075. Dayton's
Bluff Community
Meeting The next Community Meeting is Thursday, April 5,
2007 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the meeting room at the Dayton’s Bluff
Community Council, 798 East 7th Street at the corner of 7th and
Margaret. Dayton's
Bluff Annual Dinner Event This event is scheduled annually on the Saturday before the Memorial Day holiday. This year, the event will be held on the evening of May, 19th. If you have participated in our dinner before, come join us this May. If you are new to the neighborhood or would like to find out more, please call for further information. This event has been very successful due to the willingness of people to host a port ion of the event in their home and/or by providing food. Call Marjorie Smith, event coordinator, at 651-778-1075 to find out how you can be a part of this year’s dinner event! Parks and Rec Center Clean Up on April 14 Residents of St. Paul are
encouraged to help clean up their favorite park or recreation center on
April 14, 2007 starting at 9:00 a.m.
Each year tons of trash is removed from Saint Paul parks and recreation centers. The parks and recreation centers in Dayton’s Bluff include the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, Mounds Park, Swede Hollow Park, Hamm Park, Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center, and Margaret Recreation Center. The Clean Up is sponsored by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. Email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075 if you can help or for more information. Joshua's Column Hello! My name is Joshua Yurek and I am fourteen
years old. I have lived in Dayton’s Bluff all my life and am looking
forward to writing for this newspaper. Greening
Dayton's Bluff Workshops By Brain Miller, Greenspace Committee Chair Spring is just around the corner and the District 4 Greenspace Committee needs your help. Join us as we work together for a greener bluff. Our next project is a joint effort between Metro State University, Dayton’s Bluff Elementary School, Budget Towing, and the Greenspace Committee. Together we plan to place 12 new trash cans throughout our neighborhood to help keep trash off our streets and yards. Budget Towing has donated 12 cans to be painted by 4th graders from the elementary school and we need your help prepping and delivering the cans. How you can be involved – sign-up to help prep the cans at Metro State, Saturday March 24th at 9 a.m. or volunteer to help deliver the finished cans with your truck or trailer after the 19th of April. We are also looking for businesses or residences willing to have a can placed on their property. The next big event is the annual St. Paul Parks Spring Parks Clean-up on April 14th. This event is a great way to get everyone outside, walk our parks, meet your neighbors and make our neighborhood more beautiful. Volunteers are provided with gloves, trash bags, and refreshments and assigned areas to pick-up trash. To register for the clean-up and get more details visit http://www.stpaul.gov/depts/parks/environment/parkscleanup/index.html For more information on helping with these projects or getting involved in Dayton’s Bluff greenspace activities call Karin DuPaul at 651-772-2075 or email her at karin@daytonsbluff.org. The Dayton’s Bluff District 4 Greenspace Committee is open to all residents and welcomes your comments and support. We meet at the Community Council meeting room at 6:00 p.m. the second Monday of each month at 798 East 7th St. The next “Dayton’s Bluff Take a Hike” will be Saturday, April 7th at 10:30 a.m. People have gathered the first Saturday of each month since 1990 in Indian Mounds Park at Earl Street and Mounds Blvd. Come explore at a relaxed pace the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and historic Swede Hollow. For more information call Garry at 651/772-2075 or email Garry@DaytonsBluff.org. In March’s hike we drifted down to Carver’s Cave with a local historian. Deep earthen spirits called out to us as we trod through swirling snows, viewed the mists in the caged cave and heard the gurgling subterranean waters. Wildlife was active: falcons circled while cardinals, doves and crows called out below the pointing tree on the bluff line. Ducks and geese traversed the warm sunny skies. Children came in sleds and tracked animal footprints. Watercress was sampled from the rushing springs of Lower Phalen Creek. Join us Saturday, 7 April at 10:30am. The Dayton’s Bluff District 4 Community Council
has one vacancy on its 18 member Board of Directors. Walk the Bluff - Neighborhood Watch l Walk the Bluff, a program of the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council, is a walking program and a Neighborhood Watch. Join us to make our neighborhood safer and your health better. Enjoy your neighborhood. Get involved. If you are interested in Neighborhood Watch, block clubs, nature and/or historical walks, please call Garry at 651-772-2075 or email Garry@DaytonsBluff.org for more information. Walk the Bluff is funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield MN. Amazing Grace Assembly of God 463 Maria St. Paul, MN 55106 651-776-7210 1 block North of Metropolitan State University Sun 8:00 am – Free Community Breakfast 9:30 am, - Worship service Sun 10:45 am - Education for all ages Handicapped accessible ALL ARE WELCOME!
Mounds Park United
Methodist Worship times are subject to
change. Please call ahead to confirm.
A
Message from the President
By Walter Waranka, President, Dayton’s Bluff District Council I have been living in Dayton’s Bluff for four years, and have come to see what all of you, who have lived here longer, have come to love about this neighborhood. It begins with the wooded bluff, the many varieties of homes throughout the area, and extends to the small neighborhood businesses and diverse cultures that call the Bluff home. The abundant wildlife are yet another great thing about living here I would like to ask all who live here to let everyone know about our pride in our neighborhood on Dayton’s Bluff. A major way we can convey this pride is by working together to make our neighborhood an even better place for all of us. We can accomplish this by watching and keeping our streets safe and clean, and by supporting the small businesses that make the Bluff their home. Another way is by getting out and walking the neighborhood, meeting and getting to know our neighbors, so we can see what needs action and can report problems to those who are there to address them on our behalf. It makes a good neighborhood even better. I feel strongly, as the newly elected President of the Dayton’s Bluff District Council, that showing pride by keeping our homes looking nice, will impress those who pass through or come here looking for a great place to make a life. Who knows, they just might join us as new neighbors. The pride for the Bluff is here. I have felt it many times when I have talked to some of you. We need to express this with a strong voice, and let everyone know that this is a good place to live; and we are working together to make it even better. Let’s show our pride in Dayton’s Bluff. Streets
of the Bluff... And Other Good Stuff For history enthusiasts, one of the high points in the world of local history had to be the release of Donald L. Empson’s The Street Where You Live: A Guide to the Place Names of St Paul. It was not merely a reprinting of the earlier work because the author took great pains to update the information, add new streets and, for the first time, to include place names of parks, bodies of water, caves and many colorful names of certain sub-sections of the city. Don Empson was gracious enough to take the time to visit this community. A few months ago he came to a well attended event at Pop’s restaurant, where he discussed The Street Where You Live, showed photos and maps and answered questions. For those who couldn’t make the event, the Forum decided to share some of the information in the book in the next two or three issues. We will be adding our own touches to avoid the possible problem of copyright infringement. Think of the articles as a sort of lengthy book review. We will go in alphabetical order, so if your street starts with later letters, make sure you read later papers. Arcade: Don Empson felt that Bernard Sinnen, who farmed and then sold the land in the area around this old section line, was expressing “pioneering optimism” when he chose the name for this portion of his property in 1872. It conveys the notion of a covered passageway, especially one that is surrounded by shops. Though it may not have been exactly what Sinnen had in mind, there are numerous businesses that line today’s Arcade Street. Atlantic: This thoroughfare started out as Collins Street but it was changed to its current name by the City Council in 1874. Nearby there is an Ocean Street and the two were probably meant to be linked, but it is not known why. Bates: This avenue was named after Maria Bates Dayton. Her father, according to Empson, was Master Bates from Providence, Rhode Island. She was born around 1810. She was the wife of real estate magnate Lyman Dayton who named the street after her in1857. The two of them came to St. Paul in 1849 on a boat that also delivered cholera to the city. One pioneer remembers that Maria did her best to tend to one of the victims, but unfortunately he died. She was very active in the First Baptist Church. Beech: The first (alphabetically) of the many tree names in the neighborhood. It appeared in an 1857 plat map as Franklin Street. In 1872 the city changed it to Beech to end the confusion with a Franklin street that was downtown. Birmingham: Named in 1884 for an early family involved in the platting of Birmingham’s Addition, Thomas and Mary Birmingham and Tom’s brother William. The family came to St. Paul in 1857 and the two brothers ran a grocery store and later dabbled in real estate. Burns: In 1856 John Burns and his wife Priscilla spent $10,000 on land (probably over $250,000 in today’s money) in the Suburban Hills Addition. Empson believes that although they were investors that left their name on the landscape, they never resided here. Bush: Originally designated Fauquier in 1857 for a county in Virginia. The name was hard to pronounce and subject to certain insinuations, so many people were thankful when the City Council changed the name a century later to honor Archibald Bush. Bush was born in Minnesota and started out with “The Mining” (3M) as an assistant accountant in 1909. He worked his way up until he was head of the executive board by 1949. Because of the change, some of the 3M buildings rest on a street named after one of their leaders. Next month we’ll continue on with the “C” streets. If you can’t wait, feel free to buy your own copy of The Street Where You Live by Donald L. Empson. This U of M Press publication is available at most bookstores as well as the Ramsey County Historical Society. The Minnesota Historical Society has it in their gift shop or you can order it on-line if you go to http://www.mnhs.org. Dayton's Bluff ECFE Program Celebrates April Volunteer Appreciation Month
Walk into a class in the Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) Program at Dayton’s Bluff Elementary School and it is likely that you will meet someone who is a volunteer in the program reading with, playing with, or helping a child. Since the beginning of the program in 1974, the ECFE Program has recruited and benefited from the assistance of volunteers. At Dayton’s Bluff, one of the most regular uses of volunteers is in the classroom with the kids. Many helping hands enhance the quality of the program for the children experiencing their first taste of “school”. Early Childhood and Family Education classes are available to parents and their children from birth through the start of kindergarten. While parents get current information on many topics and support from the parent educator and other parents, the children participate in age appropriate activities to help them explore their world and learn about themselves and others. The ratio of adults to children is a hugely important piece in creating this excellent program for kids. “Many times every day young children need the help or attention of someone who is older and more capable then they are. Often, they need this attention ‘right now’. For this reason, one of the hallmarks of an excellent program for very young children is an adequate ratio of adults to children,” says parent educator for Dayton’s Bluff, Mary Ann Cogelow. One source of volunteers is the parents who are currently involved in ECFE. Some parents make time to volunteer for another class and some come back from previous years after their children have graduated from the program. What is truly unique about the volunteers who give of their time is that they cross all generations. There are several volunteers who are school age and give of their time on a weekly basis. Ten-year-old Harper says she enjoys playing with the kids and seeing them smile. It reminds her of the activities she enjoyed in ECFE when she was little. This year she has been joined as a volunteer by her brother Liam, age nine. There are also grandparents looking for a way to be involved in the lives of their grandchildren while they also contribute to their communities. Loretta McGlynn, familiarly known to many of the staff and parents at Dayton’s Bluff as “Mammy,” has participated for many years in classrooms with her grandchildren building her relationships with them. In the process she has rocked babies, helped with snacks, provided a lap during song and story times and reliably responded to children’s requests “Will you play with me?” with an enthusiastic “Why sure I will!” As money runs short for schools on many levels, the importance of volunteers cannot be overstated. Recruitment of volunteers runs as a theme throughout the program with an Advisory council of parent volunteers, fundraising programs, miscellaneous program support jobs and classroom helpers. At the Dayton’s Bluff ECFE site, the largest influx of volunteers comes at fundraising time. Most programs throughout the state rely on fundraising to try to ease funding shortfalls. Dayton’s Bluff is no exception. The annual plant sale fundraiser with plant pickup on Friday, May 11, relies on volunteers to plan, manage, communicate with growers, order, and distribute thousands of plants each year. The annual sale of summer annuals and perennials provides great benefits to the program, but could not be done without the dedication of its volunteers. When Kathie Tope, ECFE Child Educator at Dayton’s Bluff, was asked about the role of volunteers she replied, “They are what makes the program work. Different kids click with different adults. Sometimes that match is with a volunteer. We are very grateful to our volunteers.
Since you are reading this we can assume you have survived another Minnesota winter. Warm weather is here and is a beautiful sight to see. While January marks the beginning of a new year, this season begins the new year for me. It is a time of change and opportunity. Neighbors are out of their homes, the birds and other creatures can be seen, plans are made for the upcoming warm months and new opportunities are all around us. With the warm weather it is time to become active in our neighborhood block clubs. Being active in your block club is a great way to meet your neighbors, stay informed on issues in your area as well as with local law enforcement. The Dayton’s Bluff community has many great groups already meeting. If you are not sure when or where your neighborhood meets, contact Karin DuPaul at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council office, 651-772-2075. Or consider starting a new block club. Karin can help with this as well. With the new season comes change at SPPD also. Many of you met Officer Chris Byrnes who worked with me on the Dayton’s Bluff beat. February marks the beginning of the new year at SPPD. For the new year, Byrnes was assigned to the Payne/Arcade beat with Officer Todd Feroni. While we are sad to see Byrnes transferred we are happy Commander Polyak chose Officer Len Manning as his replacement. Manning has worked the East side his entire career and had asked for this assignment. Manning is known by his co-workers as being caring and a hard worker who enjoys new tasks. If you see Len at a community meeting, introduce yourself and welcome him to the beat. Warm weather will hopefully draw you and your neighbors out of your homes to enjoy the season. The weather will also encourage those who might commit crimes to join us. Make sure you lock your homes even if you are working in the yard or garage. Keep your car windows all the way closed and doors locked even if they are parked in your driveway. These small steps take “opportunities” away from potential criminals and make their job that much harder. If you don’t know your neighbors on both sides, get out and meet them. Exchange phone numbers for emergencies and act as each others safety net. The SPPD often receives calls from citizens who are concerned about their neighbors. This can be your first line of safety against crime and maybe your best new friend. Until next month, get out and enjoy the weather and remember to always treat each other with respect. If you have a question or concern please contact me at jamie.sipes@ci.stpaul.mn.us or call the Dayton’s Bluff beat phone at 651-341-7637. Officer J. Sipes East District Tour 3. Volunteer Editor Needed! A volunteer
editor is needed for the print edition of this paper. Pagemaker
experience is a
plus. Call Karin at 651-772-2075. Dayton’s Bluff Community
Recreation Center CLUES
Receives Grant from the Comcast Foundation On Comcast Cares Day, teams of volunteers spent the morning at Latino nonprofit agencies, elementary schools, Latino neighborhoods and homes of Latino elders. They painted ESL classrooms, cleaned nonprofits offices, picked-up trash in Latino neighborhood parks and streets as well as assisting Latino elders with small household chores including raking leaves and winter proofing homes. Comcast volunteer efforts that Saturday morning were valued at over $4,800 – a significant contribution to CLUES and its Latino partners. CLUES is Minnesota’s largest behavioral health and human service agency for the Latino community. A community builder and catalyst for change, CLUES provides services that holistically advance and enhance the quality of Latinos’ lives here in Minnesota. With a Latino population expected to reach 241,000 by 2015, CLUES helps Latinos achieve success through assisting them to realize self-sufficiency and wellness. Comcast Cares Day is the marquee event of Comcast’s on-going employee volunteer initiative called Comcast Cares, which contributes volunteer time to numerous area organizations, including Neighborhood House, Saint Paul Public Schools, United Way and the Salvation Army. About CLUES (www.clues.org) CLUES is Minnesota’s premier provider of behavioral health and human services for the Latino community. Celebrating 26 years of service, CLUES provides a continuum of five linguistically appropriate and culturally proficient core services: Mental Health, Chemical Health, Elder Wellness, Education and Employment. CLUES has six service sites in St. Paul and Minneapolis. A community builder and catalyst for change, CLUES provides services that holistically advance and enhance the quality of life of Latinos in Minnesota. In 2006, CLUES had over 27,800 client visits. Visit www.clues.org to learn more. About Comcast Comcast Corporation is the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content
Portage for Youth
Summer Camps The Portage for Youth will launch a new summer camp program this year featuring classes in drama, dance, music, mosaic art, photography and video. Seven week-long sessions will begin June 18th and run through August 17th. Morning, afternoon and full day options are available. The program is open to girls and boys, ages 8 to 13 or 13 to 18 years old. Activities will take place at the Mounds Theatre building located at 1029 Hudson Road in Saint Paul. Application deadline is May 1st or until all sessions are filled. SUMMER CAMP FEES $110 – per week/per child – 1/2 days (morning OR afternoon) $200 – Per week/per child-full days (morning AND afternoon). Morning classes are from 9am to noon and afternoon classes are from 1 to 4pm. Some scholarships are available. You may register online at www.theportage.org, or you may call and get an information packet and registration form sent to your home. For registration packets and/or more information, please call 651-772-8674 or 651-772-2253. The following Summer Camp sessions are available: SESSION 1: June 18-22 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 8-12) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm SESSION 2: June 25-29 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 13-18) 1-4pm or Video Production (ages 9-15) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm SESSION 3: July 9-13 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 8-12) 1-4pm or Photography (ages 9-15) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm SESSION 4: July 16-20 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 13-18) 1-4pm or Photography (ages 9-15) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm SESSION 5: July 23-27 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 8-12) 1-4pm or Video Production (ages 9-15) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm SESSION 6: Aug 6-10 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 13-18) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm SESSION 7: Aug 13-17 Theatre 9am-noon; Dance (ages 8-12) 1-4pm or Mosaic Art 1-4pm True West Starting Gate Productions’ play True West is currently playing at the Mounds Theatre. A showdown between brothers for dominance and understanding injects this brutal comedy with the tension of a gunfight. True West was written by Sam Shepard and is being directed by Bryan Bevell Where: Mounds Theatre 1029 Hudson Road St. Paul, MN 55106 When: March 23 - April 15, 2007 Friday & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets: All tickets are $18; $16 for seniors and students. Call 651-645-3503 or go to www.startinggate.org.
*** WARNING!
******** WARNING! *** There's No Fool Like
a Dayton's Bluff District Forum Fool ... ... So Read These April Fool's
Day Stories at Your Own Risk April 1, 2007 - A startling historic document was uncovered last week in a dusty East Side attic. While cleaning things out for an estate sale, a hitherto unknown diary of Lyman Dayton was found. Aside from a photo or two and some fragmentary pieces of data, an obituary and a few newspaper notices, little of substance is known about the man and only a little has been written about this St. Paul pioneer. That will now change. This thirty page manuscript gives modern readers a look at the innermost thoughts of a prominent man who is usually thought to be a well-respected businessman, civic volunteer and community leader. Judge for yourself from the excerpts below culled from the hand-written diary of Lyman Dayton. A copy of the full volume is available at the Community Council office. According to our sources, the original will soon either be given to the Minnesota Historical Society or sold to a group of wealthy Japanese history buffs:
My Thoughts by Lyman Dayton 1849: My wife Maria and I arrived in the small village of St. Paul yesterday. I have great hopes that the bracing climate of Minnesota Territory will improve my health. Unfortunately, the steamboat was carrying several cases of cholera. Even here this virulent disease is present. Maria is convinced that it is a punishment for the godless life styles of the American people. 1850: Ran into Little Crow on the street. Hadn’t seen much of him as the Dakota often leave the area to hunt deer, make maple sugar and gather berries for sale in town. He told me about a crazy notion his people have to open a big gambling spot down the river from St. Paul. Thinks that the band could make a living by getting people from here to spend money on cards, dice and other games of chance. I wouldn’t bet on it. 1851: Was told that a group of impoverished Scandinavians have started squatting along Phalen Creek northeast of the town. They’ve been putting up small shacks and constructing outhouses over the water. People have even started calling the area “Swede Hollow.” I suppose none of them will bother to learn English. I certainly hope the Italians won’t find out about it. 1852: I’m glad that I agreed to be an officer of the Union Benevolent Association. With the harsh winter, there has been a rapid rise in the cost of firewood. The Pioneer Press urged more fortunate residents to contribute some of theirs so the poor could heat their homes. I was able to slip away with a few cords for myself. No one will notice. I like to think of it as a per diem for all the meetings. 1853: It’s becoming common to see scruffy lads trying to beg money off of the hard-working public. Yesterday I almost bumped into one of them standing near the street, holding a sign saying “Mexican-American War veteran. Will work for food. God bless!” Where do all these poor people come from anyway? Why don’t they just get a job like the rest of us. 1854: Maria and I moved to our new home atop of what people are now calling “Dayton’s Bluff.” We have a large home overlooking the Mississippi. The newspaper calls it a “suburban residence.” It’s great to be living away from the riff-raff who inhabit the area below. We have a splendid view of the marshland in the valley below and the sandbars in the Mississippi. It’s comforting to be surrounded by nice people, however I’m not sure about living so close to that rabid abolitionist Nathaniel McLean. 1855: Made a tidy profit on selling some downtown property. I told people that the Irish were going to start moving into the area. They sold out for pennies on the dollar and I turned around and flipped the homes to some of the new greenhorns who just arrived on a steamboat. I like dealing in real estate and I do love suckers! 1856: Was down at the levee today and ran into a brash seventeen year old who was working as a clerk. He had recently arrived from Canada, like so many other deadbeats. Actually imagined that by moving here he would have an opportunity to become prosperous. Thought transportation was the “the way of the future.” Unless I miss my bet, he’ll soon return to Ontario. If I recall correctly, his name was James Hill. 1857: My son Lyman C. is in trouble again. First he gets arrested for pistol-whipping a man in a tavern - oh well, boys will be boys. But then he follows that sleazy songstress Sally St. Cyr out of town and has to be dragged back by friends. Why do they let women like her perform in such provocative costumes? What’s next—singing on stage while showing slips and corset straps? 1858: That meddlesome preacher Edward Neill was sticking his nose in to everyone’s business today. Wants to get support for a prohibition law. Doesn’t think that folks ought to consume alcohol in Minnesota. Wants to shut down St. Paul places that sell spirits. I suppose in the future some ninnies will also try to keep people from smoking and chewing tobacco in restaurants. 1859: Why can’t the City Council do something about the French-Canadian illegal immigrants who sneak in from Manitoba? As a good Baptist, I don’t like seeing the Catholic population grow as fast as real estate prices. People claim they take jobs no one else wants. I’m not convinced. I never did like their Papist ways—can’t they adopt American values? Shouldn’t we put up some kind of a log barrier north of St. Paul? 1860: Had my first taste of the beer from Andrew Keller’s new brewery at the edge of “Swede Hollow.” It’s a relief to have a choice of a different neighborhood beer after the five years I’ve spent drinking the swill Drewery and Scotten make at their North Star Brewery. They age it in caves below my house. No wonder it tastes so musty. Thanks goodness for the new ale. The way our marriage is going, I need several bottles a day to be able to face Maria. 1863: Harriet Bishop and her flock of wacky women are at it again. Sewing things to raise money to build a “Home for the Friendless,” or “ Habitat for the Homeless”— whatever they are planning to call it. Do we really want to fill our neighborhoods with subsidized shacks for irresponsible people? I assume we will never get any of these “affordable abodes” on the East Side. 1865: Haven’t been feeling well lately. Just got back from another trip to the outhouse. I’m afraid that I might not be able to fight off the burglars who are working the area. I decided to bury all of my gold and other valuables for a time. I put them up near the Indian Mounds. In case I am forgetful, here’s where to find the chest. Take twenty paces to the north of the mound at the top of the hill. Head thirty paces east toward the saloon on Territorial Road. Then twenty-five…. Editor’s note: Unfortunately, the rest of the pages were nibbled away by mice. The diary ends here. Lyman Dayton died soon afterwards of what was reported as “inflammation of the bowels.” No one has ever found the treasure, estimated to now be worth several million dollars. Local Man Has Stopped Recycling April 1, 2007
- Eureka
Recycling recently received frantic calls from neighbors of a man
living in the 900 Block of Reaney Street. They reported that he had
informed them of his plan to discontinue his usual practice of setting
out his blue bins. The Ramsey County provider jumped into action to try
to retain this valuable customer. A spokesman for the city explained, “We figured that people had done without it for all the years in the past, so it really is sort of a luxury. And we really do need the money for light rail and other transportation needs.” Plans have been drawn up for the tollbooths that will dot the Corrider at strategic locations. Starting this July, short trips may cost as little as a quarter. Going all the way from 35E to Phalen Lake will be $1.50. The matter has already been approved by the affected community councils who, incidentally, will receive 10% of the proceeds for local projects. They did add a requirement that neighborhood residents would be hired to take the money and make change. Phalen Corrider would be a pilot project. However, if it is successful, there are suggestions for turning Johnson and Wheelock Parkways into “pay-to-play-parkways.” Word at the Capitol is that the St. Paul legislative delegation is looking favorably on this “revenue enhancing,” pointing out to the Governor’s office that this would be a fee and not a new tax. Humans To Be Banned from Nature Area
April 1, 2007 - At a sparsely attended press conference, a local Department of Interior official recently announced that the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary would soon be off limits to people. He explained that was the result of a lawsuit brought by a local chapter of the Society for Animal Pals Serenity (SAPS). The basis of the court action revolves around the use of the word “sanctuary” in the name of the new area. As attorney for SAPS pointed out, that the dictionary definition of the word is “a place of private refuge or retreat, away from disturbance.” In his decision the administrative law judge ruled that the only way that the wildlife could be “away from disturbance” was to ban all humans from the area. SAPS and its supporters lauded the decision with a vegan banquet. Their press release said: “We were able to document the fact that eagles, raccoons, deer and other of our furry and feathered friends lived along the river before people arrived. This is going to be one of the first in what we hope will be a series of giving the animals back what is rightfully theirs.” So people can at least look at the sanctuary, telescopes will be mounted on the edge of the bluff. For a small fee, people will be able to look at the flora and fauna below. In the future there may also be a chance to take rides in specially designed vehicles, similar to those used for transport through African wildlife refuges. The new regulations will not go into effect until the end of May, so if you want to see the restoration that has been done, glance at the entrance to Carver’s Cave or take a last look at the limestone bluffs from the banks of the Mississippi, you had better hurry. Remember to take along a camera, and send your best digital images to the Forum. You could win a prize in our best nature photo contest. New Bank Coming to Dayton's Bluff April 1, 2007 - As any Dayton’s Bluff resident who has tried to bank in our community has observed, we don’t have one. A bank, that is. We used to have several but like our hospitals they are long gone. This is all about to change, although not necessarily for the better. Way back when, in the 1850s to be exact, our namesake Lyman Dayton operated a bank here. It was an odd bank. It even had its own money. That wasn’t so strange in those days. The odd part was that its currency was backed not by gold or silver, but by produce, as in vegetables and fruit, and even some assorted flowers.
This worked surprisingly well until 1855, the “year without a summer.” It was extremely cold, the crops failed, there was a run on the bank and Dayton was forbidden from ever owning a bank again. The court’s ruling was recently found in the Minnesota Historical Society’s archives and it turns out that isn’t exactly what it said. Stripped of the legalese, it states that neither Lyman Dayton nor any of his descendents may own or operate a bank in Minnesota for the rest of the millennium, which was then a long way off. Dayton’s great, great, great grandnephew, Lyman Dayton IV somehow got wind of this and decided to come to St. Paul, and more specifically Dayton’s Bluff and open his own bank. He needed to relocate after an unfortunate turn of events in the Cayman Islands and this seemed as good as place as any to put down roots. The Lyman Dayton National Bank and Farmer’s Market will open in a tent on East 7th St. in early June, just after the spring crops are harvested. Weatherball Returns to Dayton's Bluff
A compromise was finally reached. The tower could stay but the beacon would have to go because it cost too much to maintain. Like most compromises, no one was happy. Without a beacon the tower looked more like an oil well derrick than anything else. It was at his point that our eccentric friend stepped in. He said he would cover the operating costs under two conditions: First, he would get the old beacon and second, it would be replaced with his Weatherball. A deal was struck after much grumbling. A glowing ball wasn’t exactly a rotating beacon, but it did light up at night. As anyone who has visited Indian Mounds Park recently, or looked in its direction at night has probably noticed, the Weatherball is now forecasting weather just as it did in the past. Well, not exactly as it did in the past. It has been upgraded considerably. According to a spokesperson with the National Weather Service, the Weatherball is now equipped with a direct link to a number of weather satellites, a network of Doppler radars, a gaggle of supercomputers, and the offices of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. “With all this modern technology I can safely predict that the Weatherball will be accurate almost 50% of the time,” the spokesperson bragged.
Hershey Sues Mounds Theatre
April 1, 2007 - In what could very well turn out to be the most unusual lawsuit of the decade, Hershey Chocolate (Hershey, Pennsylvania) is suing the Mounds Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota) over the use of the name Mounds. Hershey, who bought out Peter Paul Candy many years ago, now produces the Mounds Bar, which is similar to an Almond Joy, sans the nut. In the lawsuit, Hershey claims that sales of its Mounds Bar has plummeted in recent years in large part due to confusion between it and the Mounds Theatre. A spokesman for Hershey had this to say. “There is no other possible explanation for this sales decline. We started having problems about the same time the Mounds Theatre website appeared on the Internet. You have to realize that people aren’t as smart as they used to be. In the past people could tell the difference between a candy bar and a theatre. That’s not the case any longer.” Hershey states it has priority ownership to the Mounds name because the first Mounds Bar was produced in 1921 while the Mounds Theatre didn’t open until 1922. The Mounds Theatre closed in 1967, long before the Internet became a factor in marketing and sales, so Hershey never pursued legal action prior to that time. However, since then it has successfully forced. both Mounds Park Elementary School and Mounds Park Hospital to close. Hershey would also like to have the name of Mounds Park changed but their lawyers haven’t figured out how to sue a park yet. A spokeswoman for the Mounds Theatre couldn’t comment directly on the lawsuit, except to say, “Every once in awhile we get an email inquiry about buying a few cases of Mounds candy bars but we always direct the sender to Hershey’s website. There hasn’t been any problem with local people because very few of our neighbors here in Dayton’s Bluff know that the Mounds Theatre exists.” She went on to say that that rather than forcing the Mounds Theatre to change its name, she is hoping Hershey will become a major financial supporter in exchange for exclusive concession stand rights and other considerations, such as some discreet exterior signage. Another Chance at the Twins Ballpark April 1, 2007 – It appeared the agreement to build a new Twins baseball stadium in downtown Minneapolis was a done deal, thus leaving St. Paul free to develop its dwindling open spaces for other purposes. But no, Minneapolis may actually be on the verge of screwing up their chance to have an outdoor ballpark next to an incinerator because the land is too expensive to purchase for the money approved by the State Legislature. If this occurs St. Paul could have another shot at luring the Twins to this side of the river. Many of the sites previously considered for a stadium in St. Paul are no longer available but some of the remaining sites could have a major impact on Dayton’s Bluff. While it would take too long to go into details, here is a brief list of potential ballpark locations in or near our neighborhood. The Diamond (formerly Gillette) building and surrounding area – Now that Diamond has moved out this site becomes a real possibility. Making it even more attractive is the fact that construction of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary has already cleaned up most of the pollution in the area. Large portions of the Sanctuary would be replaced by parking lots but on the other hand, it would be really easy for people from Dayton’s Bluff to get to the ballpark. Indian Mounds Park – A long shot. Too many baseballs would be lost over the edge of the bluffs. Carl Pohlad doesn’t like to waste money on baseballs or bats or uniforms or baseball players or new stadiums. The Globe manufacturing site – This site isn’t large enough for a ballpark and parking lots so they would have to be partially constructed over Phalen Boulevard. This could be expensive but not prohibitively so. A 1% increase in sales tax for the East Side would cover it. Downtown St. Paul Airport (Holman Field) - The Metropolitan Airport Commission is getting tired of waiting for permission and funding to build a dike around the airport and is threatening to close the facility altogether. This would be an ideal place for a ballpark with plenty of room for parking. The noise created by the stadium would be much less than that from the airport, except on game nights and during rock concerts. To alleviate the problem a combination sound barrier and dike would be built around the area. Phalen Village – Although Cub Foods would like to build a grocery store in this area, a combination ballpark and Cub Foods is not out of the question. Who doesn’t wish they could do some grocery shopping and attend a baseball game at the same time? In addition, it’s location at the end of Phalen Boulevard would finally give the road a reason to exist. |
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