| Dayton's
Bluff District
Forum October
2008
Volume 21, No. 8 IN THIS ISSUE
1. 3M will soon be just another memory 2. Vote for your Community Council Representatives and stay for our Pot Luck and Annual Meeting 3. Dayton's Bluff Vacant Home Tour 4. Block club meetings 5. Garden tour enjoyed summer blooms 6. Dayton’s Bluff Community Meeting 7. Meet the police 8. Take a Hike 9. Swede Hollow invasive plant removal 10. Celebrate the latest protected open space in Dayton’s Bluff! 11. October at the Mounds Theatre 12. Mystery postcard with community connection 13. Women invited to Women’s Fire Service Expo 14. Craft Sale on Dellwood 15. Mound Liquors first year anniversary! 16. Volunteers needed to help the elderly 17. House of Representatives 2008 Minnesota State Fair Poll results 18. Vento Nature Sanctuary Guide Now Available 19. Business Breakfast Networking Event 20. Mystery Photo: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? 21. Community Council Board of Director Candidate Profiles 22. A letter to Subdistrict B residents from a candidate for the Community Council Board Of Directors 23. An open letter to John McCain, Barack Obama and everyone else interested in the future well being of the United States of America 24. Set of 12 Dayton's Bluff postcards available 25. Church Directory 26. Miscellaneous Stuff 27. October Ads Past issues of the Dayton's Bluff District Forum |
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3M
will soon be just another memory
Vote for your Community Council Representatives and stay for our Pot Luck and Annual Meeting On Monday, October 20 polls are open from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. at 798 East 7th Street at the corner of 7th and Margaret. Come and vote for your representatives. A list of candidates will be available at the Community Council office. Also read the candidate profiles below.. Any Dayton’s Bluff resident age 18 or over can vote. Voters can cast ballots for their Sub-district Representatives and for an At-Large seat. Write-in candidates are also permitted. The Board of Directors totals 18 members of which 16 represent four sub-districts and two are At-Large positions. Sub-district representatives must be residents of that particular sub-district while the At-Large Director can be either a resident of Dayton’s Bluff, a business owner, or an operator of a Dayton’s Bluff business or organization. All of the current Board openings are two (2) year terms. Are you unavailable on October 20th? Absentee ballots maybe requested. All requests for absentee ballots must be made at least ten (10) days prior to the election, in writing and signed by the voter. All absentee ballots will be mailed by the Council at least seven (7) days before the election to the residence of the voter requesting the absentee ballot. Absentee ballots must be received in the Community Council office by October 20, 2008. Be sure to come for the Pot Luck Supper, which starts at 6:00 p.m., bring a dish to share, and stay for the Annual Meeting and the results of the election. It’s a great way to find out what the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council is all about and have supper with some neighbors at the same time. Some of the activities the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council has been involved in this past year include, Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Clean Up, Block Club Clean Ups, Block Clubs, National Night Out, Summer Youth Sign and Clean Up Project, Greening Dayton’s Bluff and its plant swap, Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Home Tour, Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour, Arts and Culture Committee, Greenspace Committee, Vacant Building Committee, park clean ups, Land Use issues, and so on. If you have any questions about the Community Council, the election, the potluck, and/or the Annual Meeting email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075. Dayton's Bluff Vacant Home Tour The next Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour will be on Sunday, October 26, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Maps with the home information and locations can be picked up at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council at 798 East 7th Street at the beginning of the tour. Our spring Vacant Home Tour was a wonderful success with about 300 people attending. Since then, eight of the twelve homes on the tour have sold. The October tour will also have some great homes and great deals. Although anyone looking for a home in Dayton’s Bluff is welcome, we are giving a special invitation to employees of Traveler’s Insurance, Metropolitan State University, the City of St. Paul, and the State of Minnesota. Mark your calendars and tell your friends. For more information watch our web site or call Karin DuPaul at 651-772-2075. 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. *Beech/Margaret Block Club meets on the last Tuesday of each month at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, at Margaret and Forest, at 7:00 p.m. *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. 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. Garden tour enjoyed summer blooms
The garden tour started with introductions and people getting to know each other. The tour was hosted by members of the 4th and Bates area Block Club with members of the 654 Beech/Margaret Block Club among others attending. The tour started by looking at the boulevard gardens and hanging baskets on 4th and Bates. The neighbors have done a wonderful job of improving the streetscape of their block. Signs from the Sign and Clean Up Youth Project also grace the boulevard on 4th Street. The three green signs say “Be productive,” “Be polite,” and “Be peaceful”. The concept is like the old Burma Shave signs that were along the highways in years gone by. The gardens were great - one had all colors of beautiful roses and a pond with fish; another had a wonderful assortment of plants and a marvelous fountain; and another had gorgeous plants in gardens on the boulevard, the side yards, and all of the back yard. We will soon be planning for the 2009 garden tours. If you know of great gardens and gardeners please email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075 with the information Dayton’s
Bluff Community Meeting 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, and/or new ideas for improvement in Dayton’s Bluff. If you can get me the addresses of problems ahead of time I can get them to the police and 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. 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 October the meetings are on the 15th
and 17th. Dayton’s Bluff Take a Hike occurs on the
first Saturday of most months. The next hike is Saturday, October 4th.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, or you may hike back. Swede
Hollow invasive plant removal Everyone is welcome to help. According to Mike Grealish, FOSH member and Pepsi employee, “the more neighborhood volunteers we get, the more funds that Pepsi will donate to FOSH for them to continue their work to improve Swede Hollow Park.” Pepsi has an excellent employee program that encourages employees to be involved and volunteer in their communities. Your help is needed. To sign up call Mike at 651-246 -0217. Celebrate the latest protected open space in Dayton’s Bluff! Nearly two acres of land adjacent to the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary has been acquired for a future interpretive center. Join the Trust for Public Land, Embrace Open Space and Lower Phalen Creek Project to celebrate this new addition to the City of Saint Paul park system! When: Wednesday, October 8, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Where: Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary (corner of East Fourth Street and Commercial Street) As part of the event we are holding a “story slam” to gather and share stories about this special place. Also, cookies and cider will be served. For more information, contact Karin DuPaul at 651.772.2075. "Rocky Horror" Run Extended This Halloween, why settle for a fake haunted house? The historic Mounds Theatre is recognized as one of St. Paul's most haunted locations by the many psychics and ghost hunters who have visited it. Three resident ghosts remain within it's walls as well as the nameless shadows that roam the aisles and the visiting spirits who have been seen sitting in the auditorium to watch shows alongside the living audience members. This October the Mounds Theatre is hosting Real Haunted Tours, which means you will have an opportunity to visit this unique location and have a guided tour led by professional ghost hunters. For one hour, you and nine other people will have two experienced paranormal investigators walk you through the theatre in near darkness. They will answer your questions, show you how to ghost hunt yourself, and you will hear the stories of the resident ghosts and why they seem to be tied there. Don't forget to bring your camera, voice recorder or video camera and attempt to catch your own evidence! Special Tour Event: During every tour we will be giving you an opportunity to try and speak to the theatre ghosts and hear their replies in audible EVP form! Our paranormal technician has made a Ghost Box radio scanner that will allow you to have a chance at hearing responses to your questions in real-time. Tours will run througout October. All tickets must be booked in advance due to the limited size of each tour group. Tickets cost $20 if prepaid or $25 if paid at the door. Visit www.realhauntedtours.com for more information and to order tickets. "Dead Reckoning" “Dead Reckoning” is a new televison series in the "pitch" stage, with its first episode filmed at St. Paul's historic Mounds Theatre. Each hour-long episode will take you on a haunting, paranormal investigatory journey to historical locations throughout Minnesota and the upper midwest plain states. Join us at the Mounds Theatre for an exclusive screening of the Premiere Episode. Meet the “Dead Reckoning” cast, and be a part of the beginning of a new television series. This will take place on Thursday October 23 and Friday October 24 at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $10 with all proceeds going to the Portage for Youth. Also watch “On the Road with Jason Davis” on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 10:35 p.m.on KSTP TV Channel 5 to see the making of “Dead Reckoning” at the Mounds Theatre. For more information concerning any of these events, please visit www.MoundsTheatre.org or call 651-772-2253. The Mounds Theatre is located at 1029 Hudson Road, St. Paul, MN 55106. Mystery postcard with community connection
By Steve Trimble The Forum was recently sent an old postcard with a community connection. The contributors didn’t know much about it, having found it on eBay. So we set the Forum’s crack research team on a mission to see what they could discover. This is what they found out. But first, a description of the postcard. On the front it showed a color photograph entitled “Machine Gun Training.” It had been sent to “Westphalingers, 231 Maria St. Paul, Minnesota.” Here’s the message: “Dear Folks, Thursday. Arrived here O. K. and next leaving for the camp. This is the South and I guess you know they live. Hope it will be O. K. Tell Marie to be sure and send the fifteen as I will need it. Love Roy.” It came from Camp McCain and was postmarked from Grenada, Mississippi on January 21, 1943. The house still stands on Maria and is located just about where the street intersects with Hudson Road. Built in 1906, it contains 1560 square feet, three bedrooms and one bathroom. The 1918 city directory indicated that Mr. and Mrs. William Westphalinger resided at this address. The 1924 city directory indicated that Williams middle initial was F. The 1930 city directory indicates that William was a verifier employed by the U. S. Customs Service, and revealed that his wife’s first name was Carry, although other sources spell it Carrie. According to his obituary William, who was born in Maine, was one of five brothers to have enlisted in the army in 1896, during the time of the Spanish-American war. He was assigned to Ft. Snelling and served as the leader of the Third Infantry band until 1905, at which time he retired in Seward, Alaska. A date for his marriage has not been found at this time, but records did show that the couple had a daughter, Helen M., who was born in 1897. Other sources showed that the middle initial stood for Marie, likely the person that Roy hoped would send him “the fifteen,” undoubtedly referring to dollars. According to the 1920 census, Roy was born in the northernmost region on August 2, 1905. William then moved his family to St. Paul, although exactly when is still unknown. He began working at the United States Customs Office and stayed with them until 1917 when he re-enlisted in the Army at the time of World War One. He entered as a second lieutenant, probably because of his earlier service. He was in Michigan during the war, was discharged in 1919, and was again employed at the Customs Office in St. Paul. He retired in 1931 and remained active in a number of local fraternal and veteran’s organizations. William died on March 7, 1941, and was not around for the postcard’s arrival. He did rate a sizeable obituary in the Pioneer Press. It has been difficult to find information about Roy. The only Google references found concern the fact that Roy Westphalinger of Mechanic Arts had been the St. Paul hockey-scoring champion in 1924 with a total of ten goals. The 1941 city directory listed Carrie as a widow living with Helen M. and Roy S. (for Stanley) who was a salesman for Ramaley Printing, a downtown business. According to military records, on May 6, 1942, Roy went into the infantry at Fort Snelling during World War Two. Nothing is known at this point about what he did between that time and when he was sent to the fort in Mississippi. The World War bonus lists are on microfilm at the Minnesota Historical Society. They were compiled in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s and give some new information. Although hard to read, they seem to say that he served as a clerk in the Army. They also state that he was honorably discharged in August 29, 1945. At the time the bonus lists were developed his address was given as 1596 Ashland Avenue, apartment #4, apparently living with his sister. Their mother Carry continued to live in the old family home until her death in 1947. There does not seem to be a mention of her life in the local newspaper obituary section. Helen Marie continued to be found in the city directories. In 1951 Roy’s sister, listed as H. Marie, was a stenographer for NSP, and lived at 1596 Ashland, apartment #4. A decade later found her at 1877 Grand, apartment #200, still working for NSP. The MHS records give her date of death as March 27, 1981. The last trace of a Roy Westphalinger—although it may be a different person—was found on the Internet. It was a New York Times reprint of an April 27, 1969 report on golf in a Sunday issue of a California newspaper. So maybe our postcard mailer moved to the West Coast. At least for now, the trail seems to have gone cold. Roy could not be found in the social security death index, but he has surely passed away by now. There are no Westphalingers left in the St. Paul telephone directory or seemingly in the state of Minnesota. There is probably a chance to add to the story, but the research team needed to rush to make the paper’s deadline. Any information that readers might have would be greatly appreciated. And next time you drive down Maria on your way to or from Hudson Road, take a moment to glance at 231 Maria and remember the Westphalinger family. Women invited to Women’s Fire Service Expo The City of Saint Paul, in conjunction with the North Star Women’s Firefighter Association, is hosting a Women’s Fire Service Expo on October 25, 2008. This event is an all-day event, for women who are interested in becoming a firefighter, but would like to “try it out” for a day. After a brief classroom session, participants will work hands-on with local female firefighters to put out fires, cut cars apart, do search and rescue, and other exciting scenarios. The event is open to anyone who registers in advance, but space is extremely limited (up to 40 or so participants) on a first-come, first serve basis. This event is one of the first recruitment activities in preparation for the City of Saint Paul’s upcoming Firefighter exam. We hope to announce the position of Firefighter in January of 2009. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Liz Staberg at 651-266-6534 Cerenity Senior Care Center on Dellwood Place will be having their annual Craft Sale on November 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be a wide variety of crafts sold by several vendors and a resident craft table. Cerenity Senior Care Center is located at 753 E. 7th Street. Mound Liquors first year anniversary! It’s been a great first year for the liquor store. We have met many wonderful people in the community. We are growing every day and will continue to strive to meet all your liquor needs. There are specials every month on beer and liquor. And in honor of our first anniversary, we will be holding drawings for prizes. So stop on by, check out our deals, meet our friendly employees and register for the drawings. We value all our customers—new and old. Mound Liquors is located at 1047 Hudson Road, right next to Paul’s Lounge. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 651-774-9381.
Volunteers
needed to help the elderly House of Representatives 2008
Minnesota State Fair Poll results During the 12-day run of
the Minnesota State Fair, 7,465 fairgoers took the poll conducted by
nonpartisan House Public Information Services. It is an informal,
unscientific survey on issues discussed in prior legislative sessions
and may again be topics of discussion. A free one-page, foldout guide to the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary’s ecological and cultural resources is now available. You can pick up copies at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council office (798 E. 7th St.) or download it from the Lower Phalen Creek Project website (www.phalencreek.org). Thank you to the St. Paul Audubon Society for providing key funding for this project. Business Breakfast Networking Event Wednesday October 15 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. The fourth Eastside Community-Business Breakfast Networking event is being held in the community room of the Ames Lake Community Center, 1144 Barkley; just 2 blocks south of Maryland. Barkley is just East of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Building located near Maryland between Johnson Parkway and White Bear Ave. There is free on-street parking. These free events provide a stimulating space and time for connecting with others working on Building Community on the Eastside; and always have plenty of free hot coffee, rolls, fruit, and juice available. The Theme for October’s session is “Building a Better Community For Eastside Youth.” Representatives of the Mayor’s office, and the East Side Learning Collaborative, will make brief presentations between 8 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. with a lively question and answer session to follow. A number of youth serving agencies will have information tables at the event as well. Topics to be covered include: the Fall Circulator, Kidventure opportunities, the Mayor’s Second Shift Initiative, Early Childhood education, and College Access work among others. Also invited is a representative of the St. Paul Police Juvenile unit to talk about Youth Crime and Prevention. These free networking events bring residents and business people together, as well as government officials and foundation representatives, every 2-3 months to make informal connections and network around Eastside concerns and possibilities. October’s event is sponsored by: the Eastside Social Leaders Action Network (SLAN), and Bolder Options (a Youth Serving and Mentoring organization www.bolderoptions.org). RSVP to Ed Lambert 651-772-2075, or just show up Mystery Photo: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Community Council Board of Director Candidate Profiles The following people are running for the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council Board of Directors Susan Richter At Large Susan moved into Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood in 2001. She has strong interests in nature, birding, ecology, and environmental education. Her goals include: to become involved in neighborhood concerns and help find solutions, as well as to promote Dayton’s Bluff as a great place to live. She is very interested in Dayton’s Bluff and Indian Mounds Park cultural and natural history. Challenges include: to celebrate that diversity and learn from and about each other to make Dayton’s Bluff the best neighborhood in Saint Paul. Jean Comstock Subdistrict B Jean has been on the board since 2003. She is the current Board Secretary and serves on the Vacant Building, District Plan, and Arts and Culture Committees. She has lived in Dayton’s Bluff since 1982. Her goals include: helping residents improve the exteriors of historic homes, and to improve safety and the sense of community in the neighborhood. Challenges that face Dayton’s Bluff include: dealing with effects of foreclosures/vacant houses and poor economy in general; and negative impacts of poorly managed rental properties. Lara Merrill Subdistrict B Lara is new to Dayton’s Bluff, but has ten years experience in community and political organizing here in Minnesota and Chicago. She is a member of MN Multi-Housing Association, certified in Property Crime Free Property Management, and is well versed in MN Landlord and Tenant Law, Her goals include: to see an aggressive clean up of rental properties that are poorly managed and not see these properties become vacant, but become nice homes for decent citizens in the community. She would also like to see more small businesses in the community. Challenges include: like all city neighborhoods, issues that stem from poverty; such as homes falling apart, community members striving to find ways/solutions to rectify this, and vacant properties. Our community needs to stabilize these properties with homeowners, good tenants, and new business owners. Paul Godfread Subdistrict C Paul has lived in Dayton’s Bluff since 2002 and has served on the board four years. He is a recent law school graduate. His goals include: making the neighborhood better for existing and new business. Also improving the housing quality and affordability in Dayton’s Bluff. Challenges facing Dayton’s Bluff are: vacant commercial buildings in poor condition; and a poor but improving image of Dayton’s Bluff. David Skelton Subdistrict C David has served on the board for two years. He has lived in Dayton’s Bluff for four years and is an active block club member. One of his goals is to help for foster engagement in the community. Challenges include: residents’ detachment from civic life. John Barbie Subdistrict D John has lived in the Mounds Park neighborhood for nine years. He has been on the board for two years and is currently the Vice President. He is Co-chair of the Greenspace Committee, which recently created the Dayton’s Bluff Community Garden Group, which is working on creating a community garden within Skidmore Park. The community garden will be a place for residents to grow their own food. John is a member of the Vento/Mississippi Trail Connection Steering Committee. He views the greatest challenges in Dayton’s Bluff as the disproportionate amount of vacant homes, and the perception of it being an unsafe neighborhood. Currently one of the ways the District Council is working on these obstacles is the vacant home Tour. John hopes to see our community garden development create a positive message seen beyond Dayton’s Bluff. Jacob Dorer Subdistrict D Jacob has lived in the Mounds Park neighborhood for eight years and has served on the Community Council for most of that time. He was president for two years and chairs the Vacant Building and District Plan Committees and a number of city committees. He also maintains the Mounds Park email list. His goals include: addressing the vacant home problem, work to develop better park planning, and better relationships between neighbors. Challenges facing Dayton’s Bluff are the falling home values, concentration of rental properties, and a need to improve the marketing and image of the neighborhood. A letter
to Subdistrict B residents from a candidate for the Community Council
Board Of Directors I am a new resident to Dayton’s Bluff, only 15 days, and with complete sincerity I can say I love living here! Dayton’s Bluff is certainly well on its way to expanding as a spectacular place to live, work, attend school, and visit. As a new person to the community there are two issues which immediately come to my attention in District B: 1. There are only a handful of small businesses and 2. More than a handful of neglected housing properties. I want the opportunity to serve on the Board so I may assist and strengthen my new community with their current goals of bringing more vitality to the neighborhood through stabilization, addressing livability issues, and recognizing and promoting the natural beauty of the Bluff and its residents. I have a property and leasing Management Company; I am also a rental property owner. One of my areas of expertise is ‘Clean-Up and Lease-Up’. I specialize in stabilizing properties and renters, which have been neglected due to previous absent landlords and foreclosures. This much of the time entails improving the property and its units aesthetically, and generally renting the property to new strong applicants. My management motto is “We strive for clean, safe, and healthy properties. Our Residents are responsible and respectful citizens.’ I do not view the closed up homes as a crisis (due to the Council’s hard work) however, it is a problem because it degrades the community’s efforts of moving in a positive direction and it hinders attracting people to the community who are responsible and respectful citizens. I know my property management background would be an asset in assisting Dayton’s Bluff in “cleaning up” the appearance of homes and rentals alike; and supporting “good” landlords and making “poor quality” landlords responsible for the negative effects their ill managed property(s) and less desirable renters have brought to the community. I am certain community orientated small businesses would venture to invest in Dayton’s Bluff given the occurrence of more stabilized properties and residents in the area. I know I could encourage potential small business to believe investing in Dayton’s Bluff is not a risk but an opportunity on many fronts. Dayton’s Bluff shares many of the same challenges that all city neighborhoods face. Issues of livability such as littering, loitering, graffiti, and crime I find can be easily resolved. Issues of poverty are not easily resolved. The problems and stress financial struggle brings to poor and low-income residents will always bring heavy burdens to the community. A unique challenge to Dayton’s Bluff is the number of unoccupied homes. I would be positive and enthusiastic in conquering these vacancies; it would be an exciting challenge to seek occupancy for these properties through home ownership or superb renters. I have over 10 years of community and political organizing experience on local, state, and federal levels. In 2004 from the nations second most diverse zip I organized over 3,000 new Americans to vote for the first time. In 2005 I headed a Minneapolis City Council Election Campaign. For me “multi-cultural’ is a phrase- I live, serve, and work with people from all economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds this is my daily life. I am a MN Multi-Housing Association Member, Certified in MN Crime Free Multi-Housing Property Management, well versed in MN Landlord and Tenant Law, and very knowledgeable of housing codes and inspections. I have participated in different neighborhood committees and various neighborhood meetings in Minneapolis. I have attended Augsburg College, University of MN, and Minneapolis and Technical College, areas of study include ethics, religion, art, and Middle East studies. It is said Minneapolis and St. Paul people do not cross the River; after 15 years of living in South Minneapolis I have crossed the bridge to experience the sound of the trains at night, the sight of the trees from my bedroom window, the view of downtown, the kind people, the animal lovers, and the beauty Dayton’s Bluff naturally possesses. I want to share and convey the beauty and kindness of this community with others by serving on the Board of Directors representing District B. An open letter to John McCain, Barack Obama and everyone else interested in the future well being of the United States of America By Mary Ann Cogelow “Children are always the only future the human race has. Teach them well.” Anonymous If we in the United States want our future as a nation and the future of the planet to be as bright as possible, we need to take these words to heart in our politics. This means that each of us needs to see that our personal future depends not only on the children we raise in our own homes, but on all children. It further requires that we think carefully about what we do as individuals and collectively as a society to invest in all of the children who are our future. In an article in the business section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (September 1, 2008), Chuck Slocum, President of the Williston Group, offered to you, Senator McCain and Senator Obama, Minnesota’s expertise in supporting children before they enter kindergarten so that they arrive on the first day of their formal schooling fully prepared to take advantage of being well taught. He touched briefly on a number of important points that I want to examine in more detail. One of these is the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank’s research on the economic return of investing in early childhood development. In the March, 2004 issue of the Fed Gazette, Art J. Rolnick and Rob Grunewald argued that early childhood development is the best public development investment that society can make: “Persuasive economic research indicates that there is a far more promising approach to economic development with government assistance. It rests not on an externally oriented strategy of offering subsidies to attract private companies, but rather on government support of those much closer to home – quite literally: our youngest children.” When arguing that all of us need to pool our resources, including our financial resources, in support of the healthy development of infants and toddlers, there exists a danger that we in the collective sense will attempt to “fix” children and in the process send a message to parents that they really don’t matter that much, that they don’t have and can’t acquire the competence to parent their children well. The truth is that the role of parents in the healthiest possible development of their children for school and for life success is crucial. In the early 1970’s research evidence pointing to this crucial role was already overwhelmingly persuasive. Based on this evidence, Minnesota Senator Jerome Hughes authored legislation based on the convictions that the home is the first academy and that parents are the first and most important teachers establishing Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education at six sites. These first programs were available to any and every parent of a child between birth and school entrance who lived in the designated attendance area. They differed from most programs for young children in seeing the parent as the primary learner in the program as well as the primary educator of his or her children. Children were also seen as learners and every attempt was made to create excellent programs for infants and toddlers which served the double function of supporting child development and modeling excellent practice in the care and education of young children. These initial six programs were so successful and popular with the parents and children they served that the number of programs kept expanding until at present Early Childhood Family Education Programs are available in all but a handful of school districts in Minnesota. In addition to its focus on parents as primary learners and teachers, Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education offers a number of other unusual characteristics. It sees all of the child’s life (including prenatal life) as influencing school and life success. For roughly the same length of time that Minnesota Early Childhood has existed, Alan Sroufe and Byron Egeland at the University of Minnesota have been doing elegant research which demonstrates the lifelong influence of parent-child attachment in the first years of life. When we think we can start helping children become school and life successful at the ages of three or four, for many children we will have missed the boat. We really have to see and support parents as the primary teachers of these infants and toddlers. Another unusual aspect of Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education is the fact that it is a universal access program. To participate, parents have to have age eligible children and live in the school district. In a society which often focuses on issues of risk and in which funds for domestic issues are increasingly scarce, this may seem like an injudicious choice. But there is enormous real support in a program that sees all parents as needing information and support, which believes that every parent has strengths to share and needs for which help is available. The last aspect of the Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education Program that I want to draw attention to is the fact that, while it was established as a school success program, it takes a broad approach to understanding the base of cognitive and educational success for kids. Mr. Slocum in his letter to you mentioned the six “learning domains” measured by the Minnesota Department of Education. These are Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Language and Literacy Development, Cognitive Development, and Physical and Motor Development. All of them play essential roles in school and life success. Sometimes programs which claim to be about school success get too narrowly focused on direct teaching of reading and math skills to young children. Minnesota Early Childhood has a long and proud history of focusing on the broad base of development for the soundest possible readiness for school and for life. Most of the evaluation of the Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education Program is anecdotal and informal because good formal evaluation costs money and money has always been too scarce in these programs. The formal evaluations which have been done assert the value of the program for all parents who attend and attest to continuing parent involvement on the part of parents when their children enter elementary school. Furthermore, the Program has come to the positive attention of the Harvard Family Research Project and other evaluators. The Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education online at www.mnafee.org has much, much more information on specific evaluations of Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education Programs as well as a wealth of other information about the benefits of the program. A last word: While I believe that all of us need to do our level best as a society to ensure that all of our children are fully ready to take advantage of school, academic success is not the whole story. We do need to close the achievement gap and we need to raise academic achievement for all of our children. But we need to achieve more than academic success. We need to raise children who are also emotionally intelligent, compassionate, morally sound and ready for citizenship. Please think wisely about these issues. If you are leading a national campaign, please assign staff members to learn more about the education of very young children. These are issues of national security and national prosperity. Thank you! Set of
12 Dayton's Bluff postcards
available
Church Directory 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 Miscellaneous Stuff Advertise in the Forum The Dayton’s Bluff District Forum is now mailed monthly to Dayton’s Bluff businesses and households FREE !! Your 5” x 4” display ad gets to over 7500 addresses for only 2 cents per address. Your ad is also placed in the online edition of the Forum at no extra cost. Other size ads are also available Include the Dayton’s Bluff District Forum in your advertising plans. Contact Karin@daytonsbluff.org Or call 651-772-2075 The Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Wants Your News, Photos and Articles About Organizations, People, Events, Opinions, Businesses, Neighborhood Issues Contact Karin for more info at 651-772-2075 Dayton's Bluff Recycling Pick Up Every Tuesday. Have your recycling on the curb by 7:00 a.m. If you need recycling bins call 651-772-2075. It’s the law! The curfew law, that is! City of St. Paul Curfew for Juveniles Age 15 or younger: Home by 10 p.m. Age 16 – 17: Home by 12 a.m. Midnight Saint Paul Police Department Juvenile Unit An EXTRA connection to Dayton's Bluff In addition to the District Forum, we now have a new e-newsletter, the EXTRA. The goal of the EXTRA is to keep you informed of happenings in Dayton’s Bluff between issues of the monthly newspaper. It’s free and easy to sign up. Just go here. You can unsubscribe at anytime. If you have previously subscribed but haven’t received your issues, be sure to check your “spam” settings and allow our address to come through to your inbox. Sign up today for your EXTRA connection to the Bluffs! Get rid of a junk car and help the Dayton's Bluff Community Council Budget Towing of Minnesota, Minnesota’s largest towing company, is owned by Roy Carlson, an active Dayton’s Bluff Community Council board member. Budget Towing will remove any junk car or truck—located anywhere in Saint Paul—and dispose of it at no charge to the vehicle owner or the property owner where it is located. The vehicle owner will receive paperwork for a tax donation, and Roy will also make a small donation to the Community Council for each car he tows. Just call Karin at 651-772-2075 to find out how you can get a junk car out of the way—and help clean up Dayton’s Bluff. |
Ads found in the October 2008 Dayton's Bluff District Forum
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| Past issues of the Dayton's Bluff District Forum |