Dayton's Bluff Celebrated and Recognized

Photo by Lou “The Photo Guy” Michaels L to r: Avinash Viswanathan, president, Dayton’s Bluff Community Council, Jim Erchul, executive director, Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Service, Fred Kaphingst, Mounds Theatre volunteer, Steve Randall, recreation leader at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center, and Ed Lambert, executive director, Dayton’s Bluff Community Council.  Fred and Steve were given awards for their many years of work in Dayton’s Bluff.  Jim accepted the Remarkable Community-Building Organization award on behalf of  the Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Service.

Photo by Greg Cosimini There was plenty of food at the dinner provided by the Dari-ette Drive-In on Minnehaha.  It included several types of pasta, Caesar salad and Italian bread.

Photo by Lou “The Photo Guy” Michaels These are five of the members of East Side Voice, a group of local teenagers  who gave a presentation concerning their work in Dayton’s Bluff and then performed a short skit about their future lives.

Photo by Lou “The Photo Guy” Michaels Over 150 people attended the Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Celebration and Recognition Dinner that was held in the St. John’s Catholic Church hall on May 15th.

    Over 150 people attended the Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Celebration and Recognition Dinner on May 15th.  It was organized by the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council to recognize people and organizations that have had a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life in Dayton’s Bluff.
   The event, which was held in the St. John’s Catholic Church hall, began with some welcoming remarks by Ed Lambert, executive director of the Community Council.  He was followed by St. Paul City Council President and Ward 7 Councilperson Kathy Lantry who spoke about Celebrating Dayton’s Bluff. 
   After a buffet dinner provided by the Dari-ette Drive-In on Minnehaha, with purchased and homemade desserts from community members, door prizes from Rainbow Foods and the Downtowner Car Wash were raffled off and won by four lucky attendees.
   Next came a presentation by members of East Side Voice, a group of local teenagers, which has been working in and around Dayton’s Bluff gathering information about the area and calling attention to what makes it great and what still needs to be done.  Several of the teens then presented a skit about what their lives could be like in the future.
   Community Council president Avinash Viswanathan then presented the Recognition Awards.
   First up was the Positive Force for Youth Award given to Steve Randall.  Steve has been a Recreation Leader at the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center for 15 years, and volunteered there two years before that. 
   Second, the Dedicated Community Volunteer Award went to Fred Kaphingst, a retired St. Paul Police officer who has put in thousands of volunteer hours at the Historic Mounds Theatre.
   Finally, Jim Erchul accepted the Remarkable Community-Building Organization Award on behalf of Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Service, a nonprofit company that has been engaged with the housing needs of Dayton’s Bluff for over 25 years.  Jim Erchul has been executive director of DBNHS for 18 of those years.
   The evening wrapped up with a few words of thanks and an ovation by the crowd.
   The food was good, the company was great and the speeches were short.  It was a perfect evening and fun for everyone.

National Night Out Kick Off Picnic

   Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
   Location: Midway Picnic Pavilion/Como Park  (Across from Como Park Pool)
   Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m..
* Receive information on the August 4, 2009, National Night Out planning process:  Permits to close streets off, registration forms, how to request Police, and Fire Department Personnel to attend National Night Out in your neighborhood. 
* FREE hot dogs, chips, cookies, and beverages (while supplies last!).  You are welcome to bring a picnic dinner for yourself if you prefer (no alcohol allowed in city parks). 
* Register for door prizes at picnic site!  Door prize drawing will take place during the picnic and all winners must be present at time of drawing!
* Join us for this exciting event and plan a National Night Out event in your neighborhood
* Directions to the picnic area:  I-94W to Lexington Ave..  Go north approximately 1 ½ mile, to Horton Ave.. (the Street Car Museum is on the N.E. corner of the intersection) go west 1 long block to Midway Pkwy.  Picnic Pavilions are on the right, just past the ball fields.  Parking is at the adjacent lot, on the street or across street at the Como Park swimming pool lot.
* The city bus nearest to the picnic area is #3A which stops at Lexington & Horton.  Metro Transit Info line is 612-372-3333.
* For more information call Karin at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council, 651-772-2075 or Pam McCreary at the Saint Paul Police Crime Prevention Unit, 651-266-5455.

2009 Neighborhood Home Tour

Carla Riehle and Tabitha DeRange waiting for more Home Tour visitors.

Home owners and volunteers waiting for the Home Tour to start on Saturday morning. L to r:  Bob Parker, Karin DuPaul, GaryCaldwell, LeeAnn and Stefan Pomrenke and Kathryn Zurcher.

     The 2009 Home Tour was a great success.  Hundreds of people toured the six sites in Dayton’s Bluff. The weather made it a perfect weekend for the Home Tour.
   Visitors came from all over the Metro area and even a few people from out of state. There is a group from one of the western suburbs that comes every year to the Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Tour because they enjoy seeing Dayton’s Bluff and all of the wonderful homes.
     Some visitors were heard saying they had no idea what a wonderful neighborhood Dayton’s Bluff is, and how they loved the beautiful homes and the picturesque views.
    The tour featured a variety of house sizes and styles.  Four of the houses had been vacant and now have new owners living in them who have fixed up their new homes.  Two of the homes were totally renovated down to the studs. Others were restored.  The homes featured beautiful woodwork, period built-in sideboards, leaded glass and other period features.
   Some of the homes had over five hundred visitors. We had thirty-six volunteers help with the Home Tour. Without them the tour would not have gone so smoothly. It was a very good Home Tour this year. Now we are starting to plan for next year.

Block club meetings

  * Wilson Avenue Block Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at Mounds Park United Methodist Church, at Earl and Euclid, at 6:30 p.m.
  * Lower Dayton’s Bluff Block Club Kickball meets on the second to the last Tuesday of each month at Dayton’s Bluff Rec Center at 800 Conway at 6:30 p.m. Kids and parents are welcome. Kids play, parents talk.
  * Margaret Rec Center Block Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Margaret Rec Center, at Margaret and Frank, at 6:30 p.m.
  * Beech/Margaret 654 Block Club meets on the last Thursday of each month at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Margaret and Forest at 6:30 pm. This block club covers the area Minnehaha, Beech Margaret, 6th, 5th, and 4th between Cypress and Arcade.
  * Frank Street Block Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month at Immanuel City of Refuge Healing Temple at 815 Frank Street at 6 p.m. This block club encompasses 7th, Ross, Bush. Reaney, and Minnehaha between Earl and Johnson Parkway.
  If you wish to have your block club listed, or need information about starting you own block club, please contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

Community Meeting

    The Eastern District Police host their monthly meetings for community members at 722 Payne on the corner of Payne and Minnehaha Avenues. One is on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. and the other on the third Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. In June the meetings are on the 17th and 19th.
  The meeting is intended as a time to listen to and address people’s concerns about crime and other issues on the East Side.

     Dayton’s Bluff Take a Hike occurs on the first Saturday of most months. The next hike is on Saturday, June 6. We meet at 10:30 a.m. in Indian Mounds Park at Earl St. and Mounds Blvd.
   We’ll hike from Mounds Park to the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and then walk along the Bruce Vento Recreational Trail through Swede Hollow Park to the new East Side Heritage Park. Along the way we will share stories and learn some local history of the area. The hike is about four miles long with some moderately rough terrain. Transportation will be available to return to Mounds Park, if needed.
   Join us and explore some of our parks and the regional trail. For more information contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

At the Mounds Theatre in June

Auditions in June for Murder at the Prom

Subterranean Twin Cities book reading

Memories from 652 Mclean - The (airplane) crash of 1929

By Johannes R. Allert
   St. Paul was a bustling city in the 1920s.  Located along the banks of the Mississippi River, as the center for state government, it was also a beehive of activity for commerce and transportation.  Looking from the heights of the Mounds Park neighborhood, it provided a panoramic view and a perfect backdrop to the residents who lived up there. In the 1920s, the Mounds Park neighborhood consisted of white, middle-class workers who lived in fairly large houses.  Most were first or second generation Americans of German, Irish or Scandinavian descent.
   Directly below the heights and across the river from Mounds Park lay the St Paul Airport (later named Holman Field) where fledging Northwest Airways was in the middle of its third year of service, offering flights to and from the Twin Cities to Chicago using the Ford Tri-motor to transport its customers. Up until that time, they had flown over one million miles without fatalities.
   Air travel was still considered a novel idea in the summer of 1929.  Just 2 years before, Charles Lindbergh had made his solo trip across the Atlantic from New York to Paris, which helped opened the door for air travel.  The creation of larger and better engines led to larger aircraft. The Ford Tri-motor became one of the first workhorses in civil aviation. Among other new inventions came the development of radio in 1920 which vastly improved communications in the air and on the ground. Beacons also sprang up across the countryside to assist in navigation.  All helped in the growth of air transportation.  But despite these improvements, accidents could and still did happen.
   Late on the afternoon of June 24, 1929 a Northwest Airways Ford Tri-motor NC7416 ship #30 was preparing to take off. Piloted by Edwin Middagh (who had 4,000 hours of flying time under his belt), the aircraft contained six passengers and 18-year-old steward, Robert Johnston. The weather that day was clear and warm with light winds. The plane taxied down the runway, then lifted off on its final leg to Minneapolis. 
   Just as the aircraft cleared the field and gained altitude, something went terribly wrong. The right engine sputtered then suddenly came to a stop, followed in quick succession by the center and then the left engine.  In a desperate attempt to save his passengers and crew, Edwin Middagh swung his Tri-motor back towards the St. Paul Airport to land his aircraft. Unfortunately, his Tri-motor had neither the power nor the lift to make it back to the field.  The aircraft came down hard, clipping two houses on River Street. Upon impact, the aircraft broke into three pieces and came to rest on the corner of River Street and Mounds Boulevard. 

This Ford Tri-motor crashed at the corner of River (now Wilshire) Street and Mounds Boulevard on June 24, 1929 shortly after take-off from Holman Field.

The crash attracted large numbers of  people who hampered recovery efforts and caused even more damage to the neighborhood as they gawked and collected sourvenirs.

   The first one out of the aircraft was the steward, Robert Johnston, who managed to kick open one of the windows and crawl out. After assisting the passengers, he went to help the pilot, but it was too late. Edwin Middagh was knocked unconscious upon impact and as the steward went to extract him from the wreckage, the cockpit caught fire, and the pilot burned to death.  All passengers on board suffered injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Four local residents were injured by burns they received while trying to assist with the rescue efforts when the aircraft caught fire. Another resident was slightly injured when the plane crashed, its wing taking out the front porch where the person was sitting.
   My father, Charles H. Allert, (9 years old at the time), was outside playing with his younger brother Wm. Donald Allert and their friends by their home on 652 Mclean when they saw the aircraft go down and heard the crash.  My father stated that they were the first on the scene.  News quickly spread throughout the neighborhood and the surrounding community of the accident, and it was not long before the whole area was clogged with traffic and bystanders.
   Once the fire was put out, some onlookers stormed the wreckage looking for souvenirs, pulling out anything that wasn’t nailed down. Local neighborhood kids sold pieces of the wreckage to the crowds of people coming to see the crash. Complaints were officially lodged by the residents of the neighborhood because of all the damage done to their property by outsiders who, in their zeal to get to the crash site, tore down fences as well as trampled over their shrubbery and flower gardens.
   Police and Fire Fighters as well as a recovery team from Northwest Airlines found it virtually impossible to rope off the area let alone get to the site and eventually requested assistance from the 109th Aero Squadron based near Ft. Snelling, to help with crowd control. Even with the additional manpower, the area stilled remained clogged with people and traffic well into the evening.
   By the following day, a joint investigation by F. H. Longeway, aircraft inspector for the U.S. Department of Commerce and Charles “Speed” Holman, Operations Manager of Northwest Airways confirmed that the air crash was due to engine failure and their report was quickly sent to Washington D.C. 
    Exactly 80 years have passed since that tragic day in June. Shortly before my father’s death in February, I showed him the photographs taken the day of the crash. Even at that late stage he perked up and was interested in the photos that I had located, courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society online web site.  He had told me of the story a couple of times as I was growing up, and had even taken me to the location once long ago.
   In the photo, there are clusters of youth around the perimeter of the crash site. I can’t help but wonder if my dad, his younger brother, and their friends are among the crowd.  After his passing I wanted to go back to his old neighborhood and attempt to locate the site and see what the area was like now. Before I could do that, I had to lay the groundwork and do some research.  My lifelong friend, Ken Hornby, came along for the ride and to assist in whatever way he could. Our first stop was to the Minnesota History Center where they not only provided courteous assistance, but valuable information as well. I found most of accounts in the St. Paul Pioneer Press to be well written and they helped shed light on the event, as well as the reaction and problems encountered by the emergency response teams of that era. 
   After making copies of the Pioneer Press, we headed off to Mounds Park.  In 2009 the homes in the neighborhood look older, and the population diverse.  As we drove around, we saw a number of homes undergoing renovation. Dad’s old home at 652 Mclean looked familiar, but the color has changed and the greenhouse where his mother would start her plants and flowers for the growing season had been replaced by a wooden deck. 
   Our biggest problem we encountered was that we could not find the elusive River Street. Ken Hornby spotted an older gentleman sitting on his front porch enjoying the spring day and suggested we pull over and ask him for directions. It turned out to be a good suggestion because the gentleman turned out to be Mr. Steve Trimble, the area’s unofficial historian and history columnist of the neighborhood newspaper. Mr. Trimble informed us that, for whatever reason, River Street had now been changed to Wilshire Street, and that it was a mere 2 blocks away.
   Upon arriving at the site of the former accident, neighbors living there pointed to the exact location of the accident as well to where the original black & white photos were taken which was from the second floor of the home across the street.

The corner of Wilshire (formerly River) Street and Mounds Boulevard as it looks today

   The lot where the Tri-motor crashed is now occupied by a stucco and brick home that was built in 1939.  All in all a good visit, and it was nice to know that through the years the new people in the neighborhood were aware of some of the history of long ago. My advice to anyone is that if you are interested in something, put on your “History Detective Hat” and do some sleuthing!

References:
Photos courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul Pioneer Press - Vol. 76 Issue 176 & 177
Mr. Steve Trimble
Mr. Charles H. Allert – R.I.P.   (Thanks Dad!)

Letters to the Editor - Say good bye to more local elementary schools

   It’s been a while since I sent in a letter, but it seemed time to make a few comments. I see in the paper that the Superintendent of Schools is proposing eliminating Sheridan Elementary School. The School Board, which usually does whatever they are told, will probably end up agreeing.
   Remember when this happened with Parkway Elementary School?  It was scuttled without any public hearing or any statements from school board members. If you recall, they thought they were clever by stating that they weren’t closing the school, but only “repurposing the building.”
   Something like that will likely be said again. They already told the newspaper that Sheridan would no longer be used for elementary instruction.
   I realize that this is outside of Dayton’s Bluff but it was one of the schools that the ousted Parkway students were directed towards. It is also another East Side institution that has been or might be on the chopping block.
   If you look at the area south of Seventh Street and north of the freeway and from Mounds Boulevard to the eastern city limits, Dayton’s Bluff will be the only neighborhood (non-magnet) public elementary school to still exist in that huge area.
   There have been rumors that the city may be considering closing Margaret Recreation Center and “changes” in the use of the Ross Street Fire Station. Please keep your eyes and ears open and get ready to fight to save what remains.
   Your old neighbor,
   G. B. LeRoy
---------------------------
    Dayton’s Bluff will lose yet another part of its heritage when the school year ends.  It was announced in March that Trinity Catholic School will close permanently this spring. Trinity was the last Catholic grade school in Dayton’s Bluff as well as most of the Eastside.  Trinity was formed through the consolidation of St. John’s, Sacred Heart, St. Casimir’s and St. Patrick’s Schools
   As is becoming so common, this was done with no advanced notification of the neighborhood.  There was no chance to launch a “Save Trinity” campaign. Well over a century of tradition is being lost and we will be poorer for it.
   Joseph Gregori
   Dayton’s Bluff resident

See Yang and Bryan Lopez were part of the musical presentation at the Spring Fair.

After the Culture Fair children celebrated the second anniversary their  playground by, what else,  playing in the playground.

Karin DuPaul (front) and other volunteers greet visitors at 798 E. 7th St.

Volunteers travel to their  posts courtesy of a restored Twin Cities Line bus.

Bus driver Phil Epstein                    Wooden staircase in one of the houses.

Photo by Karin DuPaul This vintage bus was provided by the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

Local "merchant of hope" Kathie Tope retires from ECFE

When children are developmentally ready to describe their pictures, an interested adult can help them make an important connection to reading and writing.

Set of 12 Dayton's Bluff postcards available

The Dayton’s Bluff area has always been picturesque.  It has so many scenic views—and now they are available in postcards! There are 12 different scenes, including  the Seventh Street Improvement Arches, the Mounds Park Pavilion, the Scenic Overlock at Mounds Park, the Margaret Recreation Center, the Stutzman Block, the 3M water tower and six others.    A set of 12 is $10—only $5 for Dayton’s Bluff residents. Buy one to keep and one to send. Photography and printing of the postcards was donated by Dayton’s Bluff resident Steve Trimble. All proceeds support our local paper, the Dayton’s Bluff District Forum. Call 651-772-2075 for more information

Amazing Grace Assembly of God
1237 Earl St.
651-778-1768    
Sun 9:30 am - Sunday school all ages
Sun 10:30 am - morning Worship
Sun 6:00 pm - evening Worship

Hmong Asbury United Methodist  
815 Frank St.  
651-771-0077

Bethlehem Lutheran Church  
655 Forest St.  
651-776-4737
Sun 9:00 am - Morning Service
Sun 10:15-11:15 am - Sunday School & Bible Hour
Sun 11:15 - Hmong Service

Faith Temple - Templo De Fe
1510 Payne Ave
651-778-0096
Sun 10:30 am - Spanish Bilingual Service
Sun 6:00 pm – Spanish Bilingual Service
Wednesday family night

Mounds Park United Methodist 
1049 Euclid St. 
651-774-8736
9:15 am -  Sunday School, 4-year-old through Adult
10:30 am - Worship

Our Savior’s Lutheran  ‘LCMS’
674 Johnson Pkwy 
651-774-2396
Sun only - 8am Worship, 9:20 education hour
Sun 10:45am - Worship

Sacred Heart Catholic Church  
Iglesia Sagrado Corazón
840 E. 6th St.
651-776-2741
Sat 4:00 pm English Mass &
   5:30 pm Spanish Missa
Sun 9:00 am English Mass &
   11:00 am Spanish Missa
Mon, Wed, Fri 8:00 am Mass

St. John of Saint Paul Catholic Church
977 E. 5th St.  
651-771-3690  
Mon-Sat. 8:00 am – Mass
Sat 4:15 pm - Mass
Sun 9:00 am, 11:00 am - Mass

St. John’s Outreach Ministry
1154 E. 7th St.  
651-771-7639
Sun 9:30 am - Sunday School
Sun 10:45 am - Worship
Wed 7:00 pm - Bible Study

St. John Ev. Lutheran  
765 Margaret St.
651-771-6406
Sun 9:30 am - Worship
Thurs 6:30 pm - Worship