| Dayton's
Bluff District
Forum May
2007
Volume 20, No. 3 |
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Spring Cleaning in Dayton's Bluff
Parks
The Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Home Tour features beautiful homes, and buildings being redeveloped into condominiums including 770 East 6th Street, 1047 Wilson Avenue, 895 Mound Street, 771 East Minnehaha Avenue, 658-666 East 4th Street, 657-663 East 5th Street, 1158 East 5th Street and the Mounds Theatre at 1029 Hudson Road. 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. Big Investment Coming to Dayton's Bluff By Ed Lambert, Executive Director, Dayton’s Bluff Community Council Mayor Coleman announced his Invest Saint Paul Program some weeks ago and it is picking up steam. Focused on 3-5 of the City’s inner city neighborhoods, Payne Phalen and Dayton’s Bluff are among them and will share in the proposed new $25 million Invest Saint Paul city fund. The idea is to prompt substantial and new collaborative efforts between and among city agencies, the private sector, and the targeted local communities. The Program plan seeks to spark a substantial increase in private investment as well.
As the Mayor put it recently, “While strategies will be determined in a community-based process, it is anticipated that identified strategies (for the program) will most likely fall into at least one of three categories: Jobs and Economic Development, Youth and Family, and Quality of Life.” City and Community Planners intend to seek a broad based community engagement in the process of determining strategies and setting priorities. Dayton’s Bluff Community Council President Walter Waranka expects the Council will be at the center of the process in its community of some 18,000 residents and businesses. Mayor Coleman further stated, in a program information sheet, “the key to the success of Invest Saint Paul lies in meaningful, consistent engagement of city residents and business owners in thoughtful action-oriented planning, timely implementation, and meaningful accountability. On going, transparent, open dialogue is critical.” The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council completed a comprehensive update of its Community Plan last month and is well positioned to help the community engage with this new initiative. The Community Council’s plan was three years in development and involved many meetings, surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The city mandates that its 17 local Community Councils have a comprehensive District Plan, and update it every 10 years or so. As part of the process, the Community Council will focus on informing and engaging the community in this initiative. A major part of that effort is to attract more candidates to seek election to the Council’s Board of Directors next October. It will also focus outreach efforts on encouraging residents and businesses to participate on its committees. The Community’s new District Plan will help guide and prioritize public and private investments in Dayton’s Bluff. The engagement of residents and businesses with the Council’s committees and Board of Directors is an important way they can be part of the Plan’s implementation, and in the direction of the Invest St. Paul Program. Dayton's Bluff Community Meeting
The next Community Meeting is Thursday, May 3, 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. The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council holds its Community Meeting on the 1st Thursday of each month. The purpose is to work with block clubs and neighborhood residents on problem properties, criminal and nuisance behavior, code enforcement issues and any other neighborhood issues, concerns, or new ideas for improvement in Dayton’s Bluff. If you would like, you can email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 772-2075 with addresses of problems before the meeting. If I have the addresses of problems ahead of time I can get them to the police and NHPI (code enforcement). Then they can bring information about the problems to the meeting. Remember, it’s always on the 1st Thursday of the month. All Dayton’s Bluff residents are welcome to attend. If you need more information email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075. Gardening Workshop Would you like to grow all the ingredients for a
tasty dish of homemade salsa? Ever wondered what a ginger plant looks
like? Can you tell the difference between a papaya and a
guanabana—blindfolded? Class training lasts 8 weeks and includes topics such as operations management, marketing, financial management, one to one assistance with creating a successful business, and preparing a business plan, plus 8 hours of one on one time with the instructor. Those who successfully complete the course and locate their businesses in target neighborhoods are eligible for ongoing business support services. Some examples of businesses started by people who have previously taken this course include graphics, landscaping, photography, food service, restoration of wood furniture and works of art, custom floral design for weddings and events, and exterior and interior painting. The course is sponsored by the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council and the Neighborhood Development Center. There is a small registration fee based on a sliding fee scale. The next session will start in September and class size is limited. Please call Karin at 651-772-2075 or email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org for an application. Paint-A-Thon Deadline Approaches Each year, Metro
Paint-A-Thon selects the first weekend in August and rallies volunteer
teams from corporations, congregations, and civic groups to paint the
homes of low-income seniors and people with disabilities. It
serves the Twin City seven-county metropolitan area.
This program from the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC) helps homeowners remain independent in their homes and improves neighborhoods. Homeowners must meet low-income guidelines, and homes are inspected and ranked in terms of need. Teams are assigned to a house based on the number of team members and their preference for house size and location. This year’s Paint-A-Thon will be held on the weekend of August 4-5 (August 11-12 in case of rain). The deadline for submitting an application is May 11th. For more information contact Deidre Pope, Paint-A-Thon Director at dpope@gmcc.org or 612-721-8687, x321 or Karin DuPaul, Dayton’s Bluff Community Organizer, at karin@daytonsbluff.org or 651-772-2075. Joshua's Column - The Sounds of Silence By Joshua Yurek Dayton's
Bluff Library  2007 marks Saint Paul Public Library’s 125th year of service to the community! Dayton’s Bluff Branch Library will celebrate the anniversary on Thursday, May 24th with a walking tour of the area led by local author and historian Larry Millett and Dayton’s Bluff historian Steve Trimble. The tour is on Thursday, May 24, 2007 and will leave the library at 6:30 pm and return at approximately 7:30, to be followed with a casual reception in the library. Participants will have an opportunity to share their reminiscences about the library system in Saint Paul, and record them in a journal that will become part of the branch’s local history collection. We are particularly interested in capturing thoughts about the impact the new branch has had on the neighborhood since opening in 2004. Please let us know if the library has touched your life in some way. Waterfest
2007 - A Free Family Festival Highlights of WaterFest activities include: · On-the-water education in Wilderness Inquiry Voyageur canoes and by pontoon boats · Kid’s fishing lessons and stream monitoring · Rain garden and shoreland restoration tours · Raptors and other live animals · Powder Puff and 3M clowns · Music by Mr. Jim, Girl Scout Peace Dancers, the Toonies Puppet Show and student dramas · Watershed Awareness Expo: How to let the rain soak in and how to reduce water pollution · Clean streets means clean water – Demo snowplow, street sweeper and vactor truck · Harding High School Earth Club Garbage Sculpture · Great food for sale Everyone can play a role in protecting our water resources. At WaterFest 2007 we will help families make the connection between activities in our neighborhoods and the health of local lakes, streams and wetlands. This free event is also an opportunity to celebrate spring and enjoy one of the lakes that makes our area a great place to live! Event Schedule: * 5K Run-Walk around Lake Phalen 9:30 am (Register at www.rwmwd.org) * Pavilion Exhibits and Activities 10am – 2pm * Water Activities around the Lake 10am – 2pm * Food for sale at the Pavilion 10am – 2pm * Performances at the Pavilion 10:30 am – 2pm * Raffle Drawing at the Pavilion Noon The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District is bounded by the I-694/494 corridor and 35E and the Mississippi River, which encompasses sections of North St. Paul, Maplewood, White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Little Canada, Oakdale, Woodbury, Landfall, Gem Lake and St. Paul. The District works to protect and improve local water quality and natural resources. For more information, call Louise Watson at 651-792-7956 or visit the website at www.rwmwd.org. The First Lutheran Church/Greening Dayton’s Bluff Plant Sale and Exchange will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 463 Maria. First Lutheran’s plants sale will include perennials and annuals. The Plant Sale also includes pre-orders for hanging baskets and other specialties, which can be picked up for Mother’s Day gifts, on Sunday, May 13! Order forms will be available in the Church Office. Pre-orders are due in by Sunday, May 6. Call 651-776-7210 for more information. There will also be a wonderful open selection for purchase on the 19th. The Fourth Annual Greening Dayton’s Bluff Plant Exchange has joined with First Lutheran’s Annual Plant Sale making it bigger and better than ever. If you have plants in your garden that you have too many of or do not like any longer, dig them up and bring them to the plant exchange and take home something you would rather have in our garden. Please label your plants and bring them to the Exchange. This year the First Lutheran Church plant sale will benefit Bay Lake Camp’s scholarship fund, which enables people of all ages to attend camp programs who would not otherwise be able to enjoy time on the island. Bay Lake Camp seeks to provide opportunities for youth and their families to celebrate God’s creation on a 60 acre island in north central Minnesota. For more information email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council, 651-772-2075. By Garry Fay Spring hiking is warming up so come join us Saturday May 5th at 10:30am at Indian Mounds Park Pavilion located at Earl St. and Mounds Blvd. Plenty of flowers will be out in the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Swede Hollow where we will enjoy several hours of a comfortably paced hike through our local urban oasis. For more information call Garry at 651-772-2075 or email Grry at Garry@DaytonsBluff.org. The Food Giveaway takes place on the third
Saturday of the month at Mounds Park United Methodist Church, Earl and
Euclid Streets. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. The Food Giveaway is from 10:30
a.m. to 12:00 noon. Come and receive a free bag of food, no
questions asked. Walk the Bluff - Neighborhood Watch By Garry Fay Walk the Bluff with your neighbors and family for your health and to watch over your community. We have the opportunity to do great things as we enjoy spring outdoors. The weather is warming and you know that you want to enjoy a walk in your neighborhood. Call to join a walking group. Some people walk in groups for safety and others because of the friendship. New people are joining and looking for you to walk and watch Dayton’s Bluff with them. Call Garry at 651-772-2075 or email Garry at Garry@DaytonsBluff.org soon to join in the fun and help make the Bluff a better home for us all. There will be a safety training session this spring. Please call for more info. Walk the Bluff is a Dayton’s Bluff program to promote walking and civic engagement. 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.
National
Night Out Kick Off Picnic You will have an opportunity to find out more about how to plan an event for your neighborhood on National Night Out, August 7, 2007. The Saint Paul Police and Fire Departments will be present to visit with residents. You will have an opportunity to register your neighborhood’s National Night Out event for 2007. Permits to close off a street for your event and “how to” forms for requesting Police and Fire Department special units will be available. You can also register to win one of the many door prizes donated by local businesses that will be given out at the picnic! There will be FREE hot dogs, chips and beverages while supplies last, or you are welcome to bring a picnic dinner of your own. For more information about the National Night Out picnic or hosting an event in your neighborhood, call Karin at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council office at 651-772-2075, or Pam McCreary at the Saint Paul Police Department Crime Prevention Unit, 651-266-5625. Streets
of the Bluff... And Other Good Stuff Donald L. Empson’s The Street Where You Live: A Guide to the Place Names of St Paul was not merely a reprinting of his earlier book 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. The Forum has decided to share some of the information in the book that concerns our Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood over 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 issues. Last month we covered the “A” and “B” streets. This month we start with the “C” streets and get part way through the “M” streets. Cherry: Named for a fruit tree in 1857 as part of the Lyman Dayton Addition. The adjacent street-Plum-follows the theme. Clarence: Empson wrote that this street—which starts in Dayton’s Bluff and ends around Lake Phalen—“is said to remember Clarence Bergman,” whose father came to St. Paul in 1867 where he ran a hide and tallow company. Clermont: Near today’s Indian Mounds Park, it was named Ravine because of the landscape there. In 1872 it was changed to Clermont. At the same time, another street was renamed Fulton, suggesting that the one in our neighborhood was named after Robert Fulton’s steamboat, the Clermont. St. Paul officials probably thought this was appropriate for a river city. Commercial: The Empson book described this little known street as “in a backwater of the city” that was named in 1857 by an “optimistic developer.” At one time, however, there was a bridge from downtown across the railroad tracks that ended near Commercial and there were a number of small businesses and houses on or near the street. Conway: Replaced First Street and Levee in 1872. Charles R. Conway was born in Indiana and arrived in St. Paul in 1849 where he dabbled in real estate. However, according to an early writer, he wasn’t a booming success because “he knows how to make money, but he can’t get it because he won’t cheat and steal.” Conway was a journalist by avocation and left for California in the 1860’s to edit a newspaper in Los Angeles. Cypress: This route originally was Boston Street until 1872, when its name was changed to become another of the tree names. It was in McLean’s Addition and early maps show a sizeable lake between Cypress and Earl at the time that has obviously disappeared. Dayton Place: This short dead end street off of Maria between the Eagles Club and a group of garages south of East Third was platted out in 1880. It was there to allow street access to 284 Mound Street, the address later given to the Lyman and Maria Dayton home. The house lasted until the early 1970’s but was taken by the highway department. There also was once a fountain, but no photos of it have surfaced. There’s been plenty of information on Lyman in earlier papers, so we’ll save room for others less well-known streets. Dellwood Place: This is a short diagonal street that runs behind the Cerenity nursing facility. It was originally part of Eighth Street. The original plat that contained it ran parallel with the river, which explains why this road is not in a north-south alignment. According to local historian Karin DuPaul, who is mentioned in Empson’s book, the name for this street and Fountain Place was contributed by William Hamm, Jr. when he was on the St. Paul City Council. Duluth: This is a short street off of East Seventh that originally was named Phalen. Its new designation came in 1885, surely because the street ends at the tracks of the St. Paul and Duluth railroad. Earl: This arterial street was platted in 1857 and named East Street, probably because it was on the eastern edge of the city at the time. Some locals used to believe the street referred to one or both of the Earl Brothers, who were doctors at the Mounds Park Sanitarium that was once along side it. This seems highly unlikely, since the name was changed to Earl in 1872, long before the medical facility arrived. Empson says merely that it is “a personal name of uncertain identity.”  Eichenwald: This is a short block with a long history. It was platted out in 1877 by John Keller, who named it after his German home village Eichenwald which, in English, is “oak woods.” He built a house (see drawing above) between Sixth and Seventh on the north side of the street (an apartment is now there) and also called it Eichenwald. A master carpenter, Keller became prosperous running saw mills on Phalen Creek below Dayton’s Bluff for his and other lumberyards. Herbert Keller, his son, became mayor of St. Paul and a Ramsey County Commissioner. He was the source of the names for Keller Lake and Keller Golf Course. Long-time Hamms brewmeister William Figge lived on the street. Another locally prominent union and community activist Robert “Bob” Bleakmore lived with his family in the old Figge house until his death this year. English: When the street was named in 1880 by land owner Franz Sigel. William English was the Democratic candidate for vice-president. Sigel was a Civil war General and friend of the presidential candidate. While he lived in New York, this real estate speculator visited New Ulm and St. Paul and invested in property in Minnesota. Etna: It was originally platted out as John Street but to avoid duplication was given its current name in 1872. Empson speculates that it is named for volcanic Mt. Etna in Italy, possibly because of its position high on a hill or maybe just because it is a short and easy to pronounce name.  Euclid: Ossian Euclid Dodge (above), “an eccentric troubadour,” was a nationally-known journalist, writer and song writer who once had a traveling concert troupe. He was a strict teetotaler who hoped that the public “could learn that a comic song is not necessarily a vulgar one; and that wit which has no fellowship with profanity or coarseness, will be keenly relished by the best and most refined portions of society.” Dodge came to St. Paul in 1862 and had a downtown house called “Alpine Cottage.” He sold music and pianos and got into real estate. In 1873 he named the street after himself. He was secretary of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce from 1869 until 1873. What the local papers called a “scandalous divorce” forced Dodge to flee to England in 1874, where he died two years later. Fountain Place: It was originally part of Preble street which is just off Payne Avenue. Its name was changed in 1890, possibly because of the many fountains on the grounds of #614. It once also featured ornate fences, walkways, terraces and waterfalls that led below into Swede Hollow. F. W. and Clara Bergemier were the house’s most prominent residents. He was editor of the Volkszeitung, a German- language newspaper and when he died, his wife took over and kept the journal going for many more years. Frank: The street was platted in 1873 by three men. One of them—John Terry— named it after his son who was actually living in another state. As late as 1928 there was a large pond at the end of Wakefield Street between Frank and Johnson Parkway. Fremont: It was originally Hazel Street but it was changed in 1872 to honor John C. Fremont. Known as “the Great Pathfinder,” he was a noted explorer, served in both the Mexican-American and Civil Wars and was an anti-slavery activist and the first Republican candidate for president in 1856. Gotzian: Adolph and Josephine Gotzian came to St. Paul from Germany in 1860. He worked with his brother Conrad who was a major player in the boot and shoe trade. He decided to go into real estate, developed East Side land, and gave the street its name in 1883. Greenbrier: The label was affixed in 1857 and came from Greenbrier County in West Virginia. Here’s one spot where the always thorough Empson left something out. The section of Greenbrier just north of Seventh Street used to be Cable Street, a fact not mentioned in The Street Where You Live. Why the new name? Apparently it was the doing of William Hamm, Jr., who lived on the street. What does Cable mean? Because of the steep grade, the streetcars on East Seventh could not make it up the hill. A cable system was installed to help pull them up and the mechanism that ran things was located near the street’s intersection with East Seventh. At some later time the name was later changed back to Greenbrier Griffith: Named by Benjamin Hoyt and John Burns in 1856 as part of the Suburban Hills plat, Empson said it was “was likely a personal name,” but it is not known whose it might be. Toward the end of the nineteenth century there was a major metal manufacturer called the Griffith Wheel Works and their name likely came from the street. Perhaps a little more research is needed here as well. Hancock: General Winfield Scott Hancock was running for the presidency as a Democrat in 1880 when a politically connected former General Franz Sigel—who also gave us English Street—named this route for his friend. Hoffman: This street, now swallowed up by I-94, was originally Dayton Avenue, obviously named after Lyman Dayton. There was also a Dayton Avenue on St. Anthony Hill (he also owned a hunk of land there) so avoiding confusion was probably the reason to make the switch. James K. Hoffman came to the city in 1851 and operated at least three different sawmills at the base of the Dayton’s Bluff. He was also a businessman and politician, and at the time of the abandonment of Dayton Avenue in 1872 was a member of the City Council. Some sections of Hoffman were absorbed into the newly created Mounds Boulevard. Hope: The name of this street, which comes off of East Seventh, went from Hill to Hope in 1872, but no explanation is given for the change. Hudson Road: This road, part of which was an early highway that went to Wisconsin, was previously designated as Hastings. It was changed in 1940 to reflect a town in our neighboring state. Its upgrading into a freeway eliminated much of the remaining route, though there are still segments (including the parts that go by the Mounds Theatre and Leo’s Chow Mein) that run parallel to I-94. Johnson Parkway: There was a Johnson Street in this area on the early plats of Suburban Hills. Probably named for Gates A. Johnson, a surveyor and civil engineer who came to St. Paul in 1855 where he worked for the railroads. The street was widened in 1930 and became a parkway that went from Mounds Park to Phalen Park. Empson says that this new iteration was in honor of Governor John Johnson who was governor of Minnesota from 1905 to 1909.  McLean: Nathaniel McLean (above) came to this city at the ripe old age of sixty. He edited a newspaper for a time, was appointed Indian agent at Ft. Snelling, and served as a Ramsey County Commissioner in 1855. McLean street was added to the Suburban Hills Addition in 1856. Maple: Not just another tree street, according to the ever witty Don Empson, who says it was named in 1857 (this part is true) “for Mr. Lief Maple, who according to the seeds of legend, was an upright and sturdy citizen of colorful and towering reputation.” Next month we’ll finish the rest of the “M” streets and continue on through the alphabet. If you can’t wait, feel free to buy your own copy of The Street Where You Live by Donald L. Empson. This University of Minnesota 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 www.mnhs.org. Young Carpenters Sing a Happy Song
“Bling, Blang, Hammer with my hammer, Zing-o, Zang-o, Cutting with my saw.” Through much of March, Woody Guthrie’s house building song rang through the Dayton’s Bluff Early Childhood Family Education Program. Although it is one of the most challenging songs we sing at ECFE, it is one of the most popular with kids and it introduces our carpentry theme. Why do a focus on carpentry with young children? Because the theme provides many opportunities to support the whole child – physical, social, emotional and intellectual – seamlessly through play. An opportunity to construct buildings with wood scraps and glue begins with a day of practice construction giving children an opportunity to explore concepts of bigger, smaller, straight, tilted, balance, shape, and much more while figuring out what will “work” in their constructions. This helps them see that making mistakes is part of learning and helps them take a problem solving approach. Constructing a permanent structure the way they want it, waiting a week for the glue to dry, painting and waiting another week for the paint to dry help them expand their ability to wait for things that take time. Pounding – whether with pounding benches and balls or with real hammers and roofing nails and wood (wearing safety goggles) or plastic hammers and golf tees and Styrofoam or tiny nails and hammers – develops both large and small muscles and eye hand coordination. Measuring and sawing do the same. These support school readiness in hugely important ways and provide a rich opportunity to use lots of general and technical (drill, tape measure, c-clamp, etc.) language which supports both pre-reading and writing skills and contributes to children’s growing sense of the meaning and uses of numbers. Accomplishing real jobs of nailing, constructing, cutting rhythm sticks and the like enhances children’s sense of competence. The support of parents and teachers reinforces their sense of personal value. Bling! Blang! Zing-o! Zang-o! Word
from the Beat - And His Beat is the Bluff
I was recently patrolling the Dayton’s Bluff Beat and could see summer is in full effect. Children are playing outside, residents are working in their yards, the birds are chirping and there is even the smell of fresh cut grass in the air. With the change in weather we also see an increase in police calls for service. Recently, I have heard concern from residents that they felt the police did not respond quickly to their calls for service. If you have attended a block club meeting, you have heard me talk about police response to calls and how the Communications Center prioritizes these calls for service. When a call for service comes into the Communications Center the information is taken by a telecommunicator and entered into the computer. The call is then assigned a priority number from 1 to 5. The lower the number, the quicker the call is required to be dispatched to a police officer. Calls for service that are waiting to be responded to are referred to as “pending calls”. When an officer clears a call he or she is sent the next pending call based on priority. Based on staffing levels and pending priority calls, lower “priority” calls such as report calls or parking complaints for example may not immediately be responded to. If officers are responding to but not at the scene of a non-priority call, the dispatcher may divert them to a priority call. This will also increase the waiting time on those calls classified with a lower “priority”. However, it is critical that officers respond to calls of violence and in progress calls as quickly as possible. These high priority calls usually involve some type of violence or threat of violence. This requires more officers to respond for public and officer safety. At times, all officers in one district may be on a single major incident. This essentially means there are no officers available for call response for the district, priority or not. It is important that you, the reader, understands that all calls for service are a priority to the police department and that the term used in this article refers only to the classification of a call. The next question that has been a recent topic is staffing levels - how many officers are working each day and do we need more police officers. Currently there are approximately 267 police officers responsible for responding to calls for service. This number includes East District Patrol, West District Patrol, Central District Patrol, Downtown Beat and the K-9 Unit which are the primary units responsible for call response. This number is divided into three districts which is then divided into five patrol shifts and also includes one special unit (K9). Each shift in each district has a mandatory minimum staffing level. This means that each day there are officers scheduled to work and those that are scheduled for an RDO or Regular Day Off depending on their rotation. In addition, staffing allows for a number of officers to be off for vacation or holiday. Since patrol officers are required to work holidays, they are allowed to take off holiday time on an alternate day depending on staffing. Once this number is reached, officers are denied time off to ensure the mandatory minimum level is met for that shift. The more officers working means quicker police response to calls for service, more officer initiated investigations or proactive patrols, and ultimately increased public safety as well as officer safety. These two questions are not easy ones to answer. I hope I have provided information to the reader that gives a better understanding as to how or why, even if I could not give a specific answer to the complex question. As I said in the beginning of this month’s WORD FROM THE BEAT, summer is here. Get outside and enjoy the weather. Talk to your neighbors, share a walk or a glass of tea. The more time we put into getting to know each other, the safer we will all be. Until next month, take care of yourselves and as always, treat each other with respect. If you have a question or comment, please call your Dayton’s Bluff Beat Officer at 651-341-7637 or e-mail me at jamie.sipes@ci.stpaul.mn.us Officer J. Sipes East District Tour 3 651-341-7637 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 JUDO FOR TOTS -
Mon., May 7; 4:30-6 pm; Ages 4-6 pm; $15; 3 sessions.
Don Boxmeyer, well-known St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper columnist and author of the recently published book, A Knack for Knowing Things, was the featured guest at a March 22nd event sponsored by the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council’s Arts and Culture Committee. He spent over an hour giving a presentation and answering questions from the sizeable crowd. While he has been living on the East Side for four decades, Don grew up on the West End, the neighborhood that is bisected by West Seventh Street. His mother always used to say, “stay away from the river,” and, of course, that was where he headed whenever he could. He also had an early connection to the East Side through employment at 3M, or “the Mining” as old-timers still call it. He graduated from Monroe High School in 1959 and went on to get a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota. After a stint in the armed services he came back to town and found a job at the Pioneer Press. He covered City Hall, the State Legislature and other beats, and eventually was given a regular column. As related in an earlier interview, Boxmeyer wanted to be the kind of reporter who sought out not the famous folk, but the everyday people who gave the city its flavor. As he stated, “I realized that the interesting people and places nobody ever wrote about held more fascination for me, and for my readers, than all the governors, mayors, and city council members who never seemed to be much persuaded by my opinions anyhow. I began to collect hermits and hobos, bare-knuckled bar brawlers and bread-baking nuns, short order cooks and hockey coaches, drake mallards named Jake, and bridge tenders, band directors, bear hunters, and quiet old men who wept softly when we talked about the friends they’d left on the battlefield.” This is still his philosophy today. While Boxmeyer understands the importance of the distant past, he firmly believes that “not all history is ancient… it’s happening now and should be recorded.” What he loves to write about is “the ordinary person doing extraordinary things.” Don is also thankful that many “average Joes” share his belief in the importance of recording everyday life. He offered the example of several East Side Italians-Sanchelli, Yekaldo and Yarusso- who took the time to record their personal experiences growing up on the East Side. Their writings, which can be found today in local historical archives, are valuable resources that help document the everyday lives of first and second-generation immigrants. Don has been officially retired for a few years but is still called on to do feature pieces for the Pioneer Press on some of the interesting people who live in the Saintly City. Boxmeyer related one story that subsequently appeared in the paper. It had to do with the Hi-Lex Co. that once had a plant in St. Paul. Like many other businesses at the time, they were active in the Winter Carnival. Their contribution was the Hi-Lex “gnomes,” that represented drops of bleach. There were several dozen white fiberglass figures of various sizes that fit over marchers, who then waddled down the streets in a loose formation, amusing parade onlookers An out-of-town company who had no sense of local heritage bought Hi-Lex a few years ago, and one of their first moves was to send workers to the plant, then located in Eagan, to clear out the warehouse. They were provided with chain saws and told to cut up the mysterious figures that were stored there. Thankfully, one long-time employee discovered what was happening and saved some of the gnomes from decapitation and the dumpster. He brought eight of them to West Seventh antique dealer Wally Wescott in 2001, who bought them all. He has no plans to sell them, however, and always loans them out-usually to Scout Troop 13-so they can be used in the Winter Carnival parades. One of the more interesting topics of discussion was former Mayor Charlie McCarty, our mayor between 1970 and 1972. He was a flamboyant, highly controversial figure, often driving around the streets at night in his mayor’s car looking for evil doers and sometimes chasing lawbreakers down. The papers had a heyday when “Super Mayor,” as he was sometimes called, allegedly punched and arrested an obnoxious drunk in a downtown establishment. Boxmeyer said that covering McCarty was “like watching a Roman candle. It was very bright and showy, but it went down very quickly.” One piece of trivia that Don revealed was the fact that his honor’s daytime driver was a young East Side police officer named Dan Bostrom, who is now that area’s City Councilman. While discussing politics Boxmeyer took some time to talk about his admiration for one of the early female office holders of St. Paul. Her name was Rosalie Butler and she was a well-known and somewhat controversial city council member. Often seen as just a gadfly, the guest speaker felt that she was an astute observer and very shrewd politico whose heart was in the right place. “She cared about the city,” he said, “and could have been an excellent mayor.” He is a little disappointed in what has been happening to the Pioneer Press these days. He bemoans the fact that they have downsized so much that there are not enough reporters keeping track of what is going on at City Hall and elsewhere. “We’re no longer doing what we used to do” and there is much more reliance on the “wire service stuff” than ever before. If you want to sample more of Boxmeyer’s writings, you’ll have to take a look at A Knack for Knowing Things and keep an eye out for his pieces in the paper. If you want to attend the next meeting sponsored by the Dayton’s Bluff Arts and Culture committee and find out about the work of other area writers, be sure to call Karin DuPaul at 651-772-2075 or visit the Council’s web site at www.daytonsbluff.org. EXPLORE – LEARN - CREATE The Portage for Youth will launch a new summer camp program this year at the Mounds Theatre 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 15th 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 King Lear Rules Mounds Theatre in May and June Starting Gate Productions wraps up its second season at the Mounds Theatre with William Shakespeare’s King Lear. The arrogance and blindness of unchecked power, the disintegration of the family, and the elusive wisdom of the simple, unspun truth weave the fabric of this timeless epic. Few classics better capture the chaos of the 21st century. Matt Sciple directs the play. Where: Mounds Theatre 1029 Hudson Road St. Paul, MN 55106 When: May 18 – June 10, 2007 Fridays & 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.
A Lion's Tale: Somali Folktales Roars at Steppingstone Theatre Dayton’s Bluff resident Liam Skulley will be in the SteppingStone Theatre production of Said Salah Ahmed and Christina Ham’s A Lion’s Tale: Somali Folktales this May in a world premiere directed by Taous Khazem. The show runs May 4–20 at Weyerhaeuser Auditorium in the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul.Cultures collide in A Lion’s Tale when two young Somali immigrants attend their first American birthday party. What their friends see as generous and fun, Ali and Aasha take as materialistic and greedy. As the friends overcome their cultural differences, they are magically transported to Somalia where they become characters in a series of ancient folktales about village life and a dangerous lion. Performances of A Lion’s Tale: Somali Folktales are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 12:45 p.m.; Fridays at 7 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $11 for adults; $9 for children ages 2–17 and seniors; and $6 for groups of 20 or more by calling (651) 225-9265. Complete information is available at www.steppingstonetheatre.org. Loaded Bus Tours Dayton's Bluff
By Ed Lambert, Executive Director, Dayton’s Bluff
Community Council Dayton’s Bluff has many positive aspects, as well as those we want to improve or change. In some ways, developing our community is a lot like working on your house or car, or like starting a diet and exercise program. There is no change without engagement and commitment in the effort to make a change. You have to be a “player” in order to be a winner in the “Game” of Community Development. The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council is a major resource for defining needed changes, and enabling residents and businesses to act effectively to make change happen. For example, after some 3 years of planning and meetings, the Community has a new District Plan that provides a roadmap to realizing the community’s aspirations for improving Dayton’s Bluff. Most of the plan will become part of the city government’s official overall city plan for the near term and long term future of St. Paul. Our plan is the meat and potatoes for feeding positive change and growth in Dayton’s Bluff. It matters because it will influence government’s actions over the years ahead. If we stay with it, and stay part of the process to implement the needed government actions, we can have the changes we hope for. However, some aspects of the plan define needed changes, and actions, which fall outside government’s role. These aspects are ones residents, churches, local organizations, schools, and businesses must take the lead in order to see change happen. Dayton’s Bluff has a significant number of residents and local groups already involved in making change and performing important services in the community. However, to be Winners in the Game of Community Development we not only need to have a plan, and active “players,” we need substantial numbers of persons from all sectors of our community in the game. We cannot have major wins in Dayton’s Bluff without substantial community involvement – engagement - in the process of making things happen for the community. Whether you are one of those whose family or culture has been long present in Dayton’s Bluff, or one of the new faces from other countries, cultures, and places, your engagement and commitment is needed; indeed necessary, to moving the community forward to meet its aspirations. You are needed in local block clubs, on the committees of local organizations, and on the Council’s Board of Directors. New faces bring new energy and fresh dreams. Make civic engagement in Dayton’s Bluff part of your life, be part of defining needed changes and making them happen. Email Karin DuPaul (Karin@daytonsbluff.org) or Ed Lambert (ed@daytonsbluff.org) at call them at 651-772-2075 and find your connection to making a difference in your community. To win the Community Development game we need all the players we can get, from them come the winners who move things forward; more players, more winners. Call now. Bluff Business News Eddie’s Place is Open Eddie’s Place at 1047 Hudson Road (next to Paul’s Lounge) opened for business in early April. It is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for take-out orders. The menu includes full, ½ and ¼ slab pork rib, rib tip and half-chicken dinners, pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches, Bar-BQ wings, chili dogs and hot dogs. All dinners are served with a choice of two side items – Jeans beans, potato salad or cole slaw. Eddie’s Place is having a Grand Opening on Saturday April 28. Come in and register to win door prizes. Eddie’s Place also does catering and outdoor events. Stop in to meet Eddie and try his award-winning ribs and barbecue sauce. Or call ahead at 651-774-7802 to place your order in advance. Earl Street Pets Earl Street Pets is changing its name to East Side Pets and moving from 369 Earl St. to a new location on E. 7th Street and Flandrau. Make sure to visit Fish Man Dan Monson at his new store. Dayton's Bluff Annual Dinner Event Each year, homeowners in the Dayton’s Bluff area offer neighborhood residents an opportunity to participate in a community dinner. Our event has been an annual spring dinner for over 10 years now. At our last event, there were over 50 participants! The spring dinner originated as a means for Dayton’s Bluff neighbors to come together and connect with others for an enjoyable evening. A schedule of events is planned and participants can look forward to visiting host homes and sharing some good food. 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! |
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| Past issues of the
Dayton's Bluff District Forum |
