Congenial, friendly, concerned advocate for Subdistrict D are adjectives that describe Allen Clausen.  I was impressed from the first day I met Al at the Community Council that he truly was a person who wanted to be involved in his neighborhood at the grass roots level.  Al greets you with a warm smile and a handshake that makes you want to get to know him.  There is no doubt in my mind, after a few conversations with him, that his dedication is sincere in his commitment to the concerns of his district.

Al was one of the first persons I had met from Dayton’s Bluff when I started to work here.  He is a lifelong resident of the East Side of Saint Paul.  He graduated from Harding High School in 1981.  He and his family have lived in Dayton’s Bluff since purchasing a home in the Mounds Park neighborhood in February of 1995.

Al’s involvement as a Board member of the Dayton’s Bluff District 4 Community Council began in 1997 after Council President Julie Benick enlisted his assistance with what was then known as the Dayton’s Bluff Mounds Park Community Pride Celebration.  With two vacancies in his Sub district, and he being the only candidate on the ballot, his election to the Board was almost guaranteed.  He was dismayed to discover after winning the election that only five votes were cast from Sub district D, and resolved to take steps to increase community participation in future elections. There were 16 votes cast in the most recent District Council elections.

Of the many things he has done as a Board member, the annual community festival has remained Al’s favorite.  Renamed Dayton’s Bluff Summer Fest in 1998, the year 2000 festival will be on Saturday August 12th, from Noon until 6 PM at the picnic grounds of Indian Mounds Regional Park.  A community parade will precede the festival, beginning at the Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus site at 11 AM.  Al is the site planner for the festival and if you can offer suggestions for vendors and exhibitors to fill the available space, or if you would like more information, feel free to give him a call at 774-3647.

Upon moving to the neighborhood, Al quickly discovered that Sub district D is isolated from the rest of the city by highways and steep river bluffs.  This leads to a sense of separateness that influences the viewpoint of many residents of this area.  When he began holding neighborhood meetings to gather community comment on issues his efforts were well received.  He now has meetings on a quarterly basis and sees these as stepping stones along the way to a more organized neighborhood.  A goal of his is to develop a process and a structure within the Sub district that will enable the residents to scrutinize proposed improvements to the neighborhood, come to a consensus on them, and seek to realize those that are favored.  Once this is done, there would be a possibility that they could apply for funds from the STAR program to assist with the development of their neighborhood.

“It’s a community thing.” Issues important to Al often refer back to this statement.  His accomplishments are many, but the project dearest to his heart is the challenge of Summer Fest.  His overwhelming contribution and dedication are an ongoing “community thing.”  

We wish you well on your commitment to this celebration!