Dayton's Bluff District Forum March 2010

For the last few months, the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council has been surveying local businesses about their thoughts on the community and what direction they would like to focus on for the future.

On January 20, many of these business owners gathered at Metropolitan State University to discuss the possibility of creating a new Dayton’s Bluff business association. More than 40 people attended the meeting, which also included area residents and several elected officials. After a thorough and thoughtful discussion, there was clear consensus that area businesses would benefit from working together to form this new and important partnership to serve Dayton’s Bluff and nearby areas.

“Dayton’s Bluff had a long-time local business association focused on East 7th Street businesses,” said state Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL‒St. Paul), who also attended the meeting. “But that partnership has gone dormant due to a number of changes along the avenue. For the health of our local economy, and for the success of area businesses, it is in our best interest to work as a community to form a new partnership that responsively addresses the needs and concerns of local businesses.”

Many new businesses and other related developments are springing up throughout the Dayton’s Bluff community even though several long-time large businesses like 3M, Whirlpool, and a local bank are gone. New and successful retail, as well as home-based, businesses have sprouted, including the Strip Club restaurant, Twin City T's, ethnic restaurants and others. Many of these initiatives spring from the diversity of cultures that helps to form the community.

A steering committee was appointed and met on February 12, where officers were elected and further plans were made to advance the mission of the association. One such project is to organize a meeting to intoduce local business owners and operators to the community.

Anyone interested in being part of the association and those who were not reached in the initial survey are urged to contact Karin DuPaul at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

Besides the District Forum newspaper, there are other ways of keeping up with local events. One way is to subscribe to our email newsletter, the EXTRA. It will keep you informed of happenings in Dayton’s Bluff between issues of the monthly newspaper.

In addition, don't forget to check the Dayton's Bluff website frequently. It's at www.DaytonsBluff.org and we do our best to keep local events posted and current.

Lastly, we want to hear from you. If you have an event you want posted on the website or in the paper, let us know. If you have an opinion that you'd like to share, send a letter to the editor.

Send email to karin@daytonsbluff.org; letters should be directed to the Council address on the left.

Fifty-five years ago, I was one of thousands of young boys across the country who woke up around 5 a.m. to deliver newspapers. My route was in Dayton’s Bluff and I delivered the St. Paul paper twice daily and Sundays.

Along with several other newsboys, I picked up my bundle at the corner of Conway and Maple–on my bike in the summer and on foot in the winter.

With no plastic bags in those days, each paper had to be tucked into a fold and placed in our canvas newspaper sacks ready to be tossed on the front steps as we rode (or walked) by.

These days newspapers are delivered by adults on large car routes and there is only one delivery a day, as virtually all evening papers have vanished into history. Today’s adult routes are also prepaid, unlike the door-to-door collections we undertook decades ago.

My route included roughly the area between East Third and Fourth Streets and Mounds and Maple. It also included the 25-30 houses located below the Bluff under the Third Street Bridge, an area known as the Connemara Patch.

In those days, the corner of East Third and Maria was a busy business intersection. It included a Country Club grocery store, a drugstore, a hardware store and a garage that is still there. However, the garage then included a full service gas station with an air pump convenient for reinflating my delivery bike's balloon tires. One morning, my tire blew up in my face, fortunately without inflicting any permanent damage.

The Connemara Patch. too, has changed character over the years. Now part of the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, there is no trace of the houses that stood there.

The area took its name from the village in County Galway, Ireland, where many families were left destitute after the potato famine in 1878 and 1879. Bishop John Ireland brought dozens of them to settle on western Minnesota farmland as part of planned Catholic communities.

Unfortunately, the immigrants were not at all ready or very well suited to succeed in the harsh conditions they faced. As a result, the bishop brought them to St. Paul and helped them find jobs as domestic servants and railroad workers.

By the mid 50s, when I was delivering newspapers there, Connemara Patch had become home to many Mexican immigrants and its Irish identity had faded. As in the Rondo area of St. Paul's Midway, the houses were all demolished to make way for the construction of the I-94 freeway.

My home at 664 Wilson and the old Dayton's Bluff playground were also moved to make way for the freeway.

But before that, the playground contained two ball fields in the summer, a football field in the fall, and a hockey rink with a large open skating area in the winter. The only building was a small brick structure that had been used in previous days as the exclusive Toledo Club, where people in horse-drawn buggies would come to attend elegant functions.

One of our favorite pastimes in those days was to get on our bikes to visit Lake Phalen, go on “green apple” raids or race down the Mounds Boulevard hill to downtown.

We also climbed all over the bluffs and explored the caves and other hidden areas. There was a “hobo camp," as we called it, where tents and shelters were erected every summer. The “hobos” were friendly, even if a bit scary to us kids.

We also made good use of a wonderfully cool and clean swimming hole at the base of the Bluff that was, we discovered, fed by a broken water pipe. The water was over our heads in some places and the 7’ by 15’ “pool” was sheltered by large trees and even had a small sandy limestone beach.

I liked having my own earned money, but, even so, I was glad to give up my route as the daily grind began to get to me and, more importantly, interfered with my participation in the sports teams that were organized at the old Dayton’s Bluff Playground.

The community has done much to support students attending Metropolitan State University. So it only makes sense for the students to support the community.

That philosophy is one reason why a criterion for selecting the university’s outstanding students is their community involvement. Every semester, high-achieving students from Metropolitan State’s various colleges vie for this honor. Those chosen as outstanding students frequently spend considerable time performing community service.

Yia Lor was recently selected outstanding graduate student in the College of Management. He earned a Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration (M.P.N.A.) degree. Lor has long been active in the community, volunteering for Hmong, low-income, higher education and other nonprofits in the Twin Cities area.

“Community service enhances your learning,” said Lor. “It helps put into practice–and perspective–what you learn in the classroom.”

Deborah Eckberg is an assistant professor at the university’s School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. She is also chair of the school’s committee that chooses outstanding students.

“Grades don’t tell the whole story” in evaluating university students who excel, said Eckberg. “There is just so much you can learn in the classroom. There are really amazing students out there who are not only getting a 4.0 or near 4.0 GPA but are also doing other activities in which they are learning, including volunteering in the community.”

John Burton has witnessed first-hand how students learn from their community experiences. An academic advisor and instructor in Metropolitan State’s First College, Burton assigns students to learn about an organization that serves the community.

“After doing their assignments, many come back and say, ‘Wow, I got a chance to meet people and learn about an organization in the community that I wasn’t aware of.’ I tell my students that very little learning actually occurs in the college classroom. Most happens in the real world and that’s where they need to be.”

Roger Israel, who heads the M.P.N.A. program, offers another reason why Metropolitan State students should be connected to community: Since they benefit from the tax-paying public that helps ensure they receive an affordable college education, students should return the favor by giving back to their communities.

Moreover, said Israel, “I personally believe the happiest and most well-rounded people are those who have good health, family and friends, who are doing work they enjoy and who are doing something for the community. These people feel good about their lives and about what they’re contributing.”

Before you read further, I want to remind you that it is my deep belief that each of us always makes the best choices we can with the knowledge and resources we have. Learning that one has made a mistake in any aspect of parenting can be excruciatingly painful‒sometimes so agonizing that one is tempted to deny or ignore information that challenges whatever decision was made. I believe this is especially true when the context is highly emotionally charged as it is around breastfeeding. I don’t want anyone reading this to beat up on herself for having made a decision not to breastfeed. I do want to encourage all readers to remain open to the information about the ways in which breastfeeding is the best choice for baby, mother, father and nation. This is important stuff.

In “The Milk of Human Kindness,” a great article published in Minnesota Parent, December 1996, author Ann Eichler Kolakowski argued, “by far the most powerful forces standing between breasts and babies are societal constructs of misinformation, lack of role models and support.” According to current breastfeeding statistics, apparently not enough has changed in more than a decade.

A handout I picked up at the State Fair a number of years ago concludes with “Z” for “zillions of advantages to breastfeeding your baby!!!” Since I began seriously researching breast milk and nursing in the early 1970's when I was anticipating the birth of my first child, research continues to add to the long and persuasive list of reasons to breastfeed. A zillion seems to me to be approximately the correct number.

For the baby, breast milk is far superior to any formula. Colostrum, referred to by some experts as “liquid gold,” is the perfect first food for the human infant. It and the milk which follows it are living fluids that change to meet the baby’s needs as she grows and develops. Breast milk provides the baby with the perfect balance of energy, proteins, vitamins and fat. It is easier to digest than formula and contains an enzyme that helps infants process nutrients more effectively. It carries antibodies and antioxidants.

Breastfeeding is associated with a long list of immediate and long-term health benefits :

fewer ear infections
fewer and less severe respiratory infections, less pneumonia, and fewer tonsillectomies
fewer intestinal and urinary tract infections
less asthma
fewer cases of acute appendicitis
fewer Sudden Infant Deaths
better eyesight
better oral and dental development
better brain development
fewer allergies
healthier skin
lower risk of multiple sclerosis
less obesity short and long term
less childhood cancer (leukemia)
less childhood bed wetting
less risk of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
reduced risk of diabetes
lower cholesterol as adults

Many of these benefits may result from the composition of breast milk in and of itself, but many of them are also affected by the act of breastfeeding. Holding and nursing a baby bathes the child (and mother) in a flow of all kinds of sensory stimulation enhancing many kinds of development in the child and supporting the development of the mother-infant bond, the importance of which cannot be overstated. Focusing on the mother’s face supports visual development in the baby. The act of suckling develops the muscles of the face and mouth in ways that support oral health. Feeling cared for builds the physical brain. The fact that breast milk is available on demand contributes to the infant’s development of trust and feelings of potency.

When I began learning about nursing, I was focused on the benefits for my baby. But there are numerous and important benefits for the mother as well. A number of experts describe breastfeeding as an important component in the emotional and parenting development of the mother and many of us find this to be profoundly true.

I’m going to focus on more easily defined benefits. Breastfeeding immediately after birth releases prolactin and oxytocin. As well as supporting mothering behavior, these hormones help the uterus contract, aiding in the natural separation of the placenta and reducing blood loss. Prolactin continues to support feelings of well-being and relaxation in the mother when she nurses. Breastfeeding in most instances is more convenient and hassle free than bottle feeding‒there is no mixing, washing, sterilizing, running out to the store for formula. The entirely breastfed baby has poops that don’t smell disgusting. Breastfeeding helps the mother lose weight gained in pregnancy. Breastfeeding saves money‒estimates vary from $400.00 to more than $3,915.00 a year. Health benefits to the mother are impressive: breastfeeding provides protection against breast cancer (even for women who have a family history of these cancers); ovarian cancer; type 2 diabetes; rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis. By delaying resumption of menstruation, breastfeeding contributes to natural birth control, not reliable in individual cases, but approximately 80% effective in breastfeeding populations, a significant benefit in an overpopulated world.

So back to Uncle Sam. The United States Surgeon General recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and that breast milk stay the main source of nutrition for the entire first year of life. This recommendation rests on the significant economic benefits of breastfeeding resulting from lower medical costs incurred by breastfed infants, increased workplace productivity of parents whose children are less often sick. It also acknowledges that breastfeeding is green. It doesn’t add to the waste stream in the way formula feeding does resulting in another economic benefit and a healthier planet.

While Uncle Sam looks at economic payoff in breastfeeding, the person holding the baby or thinking of the future of the child may find other benefits more persuasive. It had been several years since my younger daughter was weaned when I read for the first time the link between breast feeding and reduced risk of type 1 diabetes. At that time I had two siblings living with lives constricted by type 1 diabetes. Both of them have since died of complications due to this illness. I remember thinking, “Thank God I breastfed Anne and Maren!" If this were the only benefit breastfeeding conferred, I would encourage every mother to breastfeed.

The greatest benefits for mother and child are reaped from exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life and from extended periods in which breast milk is a consistent and significant source of nutrition, but any amount of nursing, even one feeding, is of value. There is an absolute wealth of information about breastfeeding (including the important role of the father) in books, magazines, and online for anyone looking for more knowledge or support. If any of you plan to breastfeed, I recommend most highly “The Baby Knows How - To Breastfeed that Is” by Kittie Frantz available at www.mothering.com/
links.

Mary Ann Cogelow is a parent educator and lead teacher at the Dayton's Bluff Elementary Early Childhood and Family Education site.

Wilson Avenue Block Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at Mounds Park United Methodist Church, at Earl and Euclid.

Margaret Rec Center Block Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Margaret Recreation Center, at Margaret and Frank.

Beech/Margaret 654 Block Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Margaret and Forest. This block club covers Minnehaha, Beech, Margaret, Sixth, Fifth, and Fourth streets between Cypress and Arcade.

If you wish to have your block club listed, or need information about starting your own block club, please contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin
@DaytonsBluff.org.

The 2010 Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Home Tour will be held on Saturday, April 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is part of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Home Tour sponsored by the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The home tour is free of charge and open to the public. The complete listing of all the homes in Dayton’s Bluff will be in the April issue of this paper and the brochure for the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Home Tour can be picked up at the Dayton's Bluff library in mid-April.

Each year, many visitors come to Dayton’s Bluff to see the homes and visit with the Dayton’s Bluff residents in the homes. Many people come here year after year. Some of the visitors like it so well that they move here. The home tour is one of the best ways to show off all the great things about Dayton’s Bluff.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Home Tour. Volunteering consists of greeting people at the door, giving out brochures and information about Dayton’s Bluff and helping the home
owners for a few hours either day.

If you are interested, please email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075.

For more information on the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Home Tour, visit www.msphometour.com.

You can also check out www.DaytonsBluff.org for more information about the Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Tour.

The Historic Mounds Theatre is “launching” its first dinner theater production.

Looking for that perfect getaway – but can’t afford it? Then “Knotareel Getaway Cruise” is for you.

The production is a hilarious musical take on cruise vacations Minnesota style. It’s a mid-winter getaway without ever leaving the state.

The production whisks audience members away aboard the pride of the “Knotareel Cruise Line’s” budget cruise fleet. On your dinner excursion you will enjoy a great meal and sample the entertainment provided on our full three-day and seven-day cruises.

This excursion includes complete access to our version of a swimming pool, putting green, shuffleboard and fishing. Dinner, dancing, drinks, dessert and so much more await guests.

The play runs through March 21. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets (including dinner) start at $39.50. A cash bar will be available. To order your tickets online or for more information visit www.moundstheatre.org or call 651-772-2253. The Mounds Theatre is located at 1029 Hudson Road, St. Paul, MN 55106.

For over 30 years, Le Painter auto body service has been a fixture at the corner of Third and Maria, and its miniature antique car emerging from the building has become a landmark. The business was formerly owned by Craig Fohrenkamm, who sold it to Kjel Farr in January of this year.

Farr, who is 22 years old and expecting a new baby, says that he intends to uphold the reputation of the long-term business. He is a graduate of Hennepin Technical College, specializing in auto body service. He has had experience in Brooklyn Park painting cars for the police force and for the Wilder Foundation.

Farr expects that his mother will be a mainstay of the business. A Honeywell retiree, she is now the bookkeeper. Farr has one other employee, Kia Lee, who works as a body technician.

Farr is fortunate to have had help from Sara Fohrenkamm, Craig's daughter, who ran the business after her father's retirement. She believes that Farr will be a big asset to the community where he is already involved with supporting Little League baseball at Parkway Elementary. He says that he likes being in Dayton's Bluff and its small town atmosphere.

We welcome Kjel Farr to the community and wish him the best of luck in his business.

JOY Academy opened its doors in fall 2009, expanding from the preschool and childcare program that it has operated since 1971. The school is operated by Bethlehem Lutheran Church, located at 655 Forest Street.

The school has already seen an increase in enrollment from 14 children on the first day of school to a current enrollment of 25. The church's goal is to reach out into the community with affordable quality Christian education, using a blend of innovative technology and classical instruction. In the next school year, the academy will be expanding again with the addition of the third and fourth grades. An open house will be held on Tuesday, March 9, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for interested families. For more information, call the school at 651-771-6982 or email info@joyacademy.org.

Budget Towing of Minnesota, the state's largest towing company, will remove any junk car or truck—located anywhere in Saint Paul—and dispose of it at no charge to the owner. The vehicle owner will receive paperwork for a tax donation, and the Dayton's Bluff Community Council will receive a donation for each car towed

Just contact Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or 651-772-2075 to get the eyesore removed.

It’s been awhile since the Dayton's Bluff District Forum has been published—it always takes a break in January and February–so I’ll remind you that in my column I’ve been sharing information that is now available online for the historic St. Paul Globe, published from 1884 to 1896. Here’s the summary of one very interesting article I found when I searched for the term “Swede Hollow.”

This look at the legendary East Side community was taken in March of 1886–124 years ago. I might have waited a year, so it could have been a century-and-a-quarter old, a sort of anniversary, but what if the Forum has stopped publishing a year from now?

Sorry to mix business with history, but your local newspaper, like the national economy, is in a financial crisis. So if you know any of our business people who might advertise, please suggest the idea to them. Okay, now back to the task at hand.

The Globe article, written by someone identified only as Grundy, appeared under the headline “The Squatter’s Home,” with the sub-heading, “A Foreign Settlement in the Midst of St. Paul.” The paper started out by saying that the area had a “quaint appearance” in the midst of a “still more quaint and picturesque surrounding.”

One winter day he had taken a look at “the little hamlet of shanties” that was “filled with a “flaxen-haired population.” He got there by going down a stairway that started above an “immense stone archway” that was “covered with huge icicles that have formed from the water trickling down from the surface of the street.” The structure formed the foundation of the East Seventh Street fill and through it went the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad tracks. It is still there and provides one access to today’s Swede Hollow Park.

The reporter went down the steps, viewing the area below. “Through the little hamlet of huts, contributing not a little to the foreign picturesqueness of the scene, flows a clean and transparent brook,” he said. The sun was shining even though “the valley was covered with “a white mantle” and “the blue flowing brook forms a striking contrast to the general whiteness of the winter picture.” On either side of the “tiny stream, which originates in a bubbling spring in the foot-hills are arranged in pleasing disorder and weather-beaten shanties.”

Grundy continued his stroll. “Leading away from the bottom of the long flight of steps that descend from Seventh Street is a well-worn footpath. It goes directly to the nearest shanty and then divides, one branch leading across a primitive footbridge that spans the running brook, the other leading up the hollow to the next shanty, continuing to lead to every home. In some spots boulders had been carefully placed so people could cross the water going stone to stone.

“No street mars the foreign appearance of ‘Swede Hollow. The tracks of wagon wheels and the imprints of horse hoofs are visible in the bottom of the placid little brook and along its snow-girted banks, showing that the few who desire to bring and carry away such bulky articles as require a wagon, must follow up the stream.”

As the 1886 writer put it: “Yards there are none” and “fences do not disfigure the quiet little hamlet.… Ducks and geese and dogs and pigeons are visible. Down on the brook the ducks and geese while away their time, occasionally forming into line and waddling over the snow.….Dogs doze away on the sunny side.….Pigeons, in rudely constructed houses and cotes, fly out and in at pleasure.”

The children of the Hollow—sounds a little like a scary movie—were also given some space. “Little tow-headed girls and boys are in sight throughout the settlement. They are dressed in ill-fitting garments, and no child has a suit throughout of the same color or texture. Many of them are playing with the dogs on the sunny side. On one side of the dividing brook is quite a hill,” the Globe continued. “Down its back the children of ‘Swede Hollow’ are coasting. They have a board. This serves as a sled. Five or six of them pile on, as they have dragged or carried it up to the top, and down they go.”

The reporter obviously felt a little out of place, saying “the eyes of the infantile and canine portions of the population are upon you. The children stop their play and watch.…Presently womanly faces are seen peering out windows and doors.…Visitors, especially men who wear a stiff hat and overcoat and gloves, are rare. They always excite attention.”

Not all of the inhabitants kept their distance. The reporter was met by “the oldest squatter” who had on a "cardigan jacket with a dirty worsted scarf about his neck” as well as a worsted hat. Their exchange offered up some information that was new to me. I had always thought that the people there were free to move in at no cost. It seems that at that time, a man named J. Waggener, with an office on Seventh, had control of the real estate.

As he met the reporter, the old man queried: “Is it going fur sell?” He then expressed his opinion that “Ve pays too much for shanty. A dollar, a half for month.….Vaggener, he owns Swede Hollar; pay him rent. Ve be here sex, seben years—all time de same, dollar a half for month.” Maybe the resident had hoped that someone new would take over as landlord when he said, "don’t want to buy, eh?”

The trip through the settlement continued along with the often condescending statements. Some of the comments added interesting information that can’t be determined from the old black-and-white photos.

It was noted that paint was a “scarce article” although “a few of the doors are treated to a coat of paint. The brightest colors are used, and the contrast between the weather-beaten boards over the flaming door is very striking.” We may never know why, but perhaps colored doors were a way to help identify who lived where in an area without regular streets.

Some analysis was made of the construction of the local structures. “Down in the hollow you observe that the shanties are of the simplest pattern,” Gundy stated. The great majority were a single story high. For the few story-and-a-half structures, the stairway was on the outside. “The interior of these huts is simple from the uneven floors, without a carpet, through the few absolutely essential articles of furniture, to the tissue paper curtains at the windows and hanging from the shelves, where the rude chinaware is kept,” the article went on.

The article mentions another local landmark that was also along Phalen Creek, but south of Seventh Street. It confirmed that “There is a lower portion that is known as ‘Conemara’ and is occupied by natives of the Emerald Isle,” although a few Swedes did live there." (I am considering an article about this settlement that used to exist under the bluff.)

According to the 1886 visitor, there were around 110 regular paying squatters in the hollow. Sometimes more than one family lived in a house, so the total population was estimated at around 600. The area was almost exclusively residential. “There are no stores, a single saloon being the only public place within the valley,” which occupied “the front room of a little shanty and is kept by a woman.”

As if he needed to point out that poor people were not all bad, the reporter offered up the opinion that “Crime is not common.” The people there live quietly “and are not given to drunkenness, although beer is drank as a great luxury on Sundays and holidays.” The only murder that had occurred was “the work of inhabitants of ‘Conemara.’"

At the close of the article, the writer for the Globe insisted that the residents pretty much wanted to be left alone and were not given a lot of attention by outsiders. They were happy in the Hollow because they were “away from the noise and confusion of the city.” And if the chimneys were not filled with billowing smoke, the small homes were comfortable.

“They know that the sun’s rays even in the winter time, warm the little valley. They know that wood is hard to get…they are content to sit in the little room, where the sunshine comes streaming through…the window, and thus warmed, go smoke their pipes and indulge in day dreams.

“Their greatest fear is that they will be routed out of their shanties. Their greatest desire is that they may be left alone,” Grundy concluded “The sun sets and ‘Swede Hollow’ is at rest. It is silent and at peace for the night. No one will disturb the squatters or their possessions until daylight. Its occupants are happy.”

The senior class of Twin Cities Academy High School (TCAHS) and Friends of Swede Hollow (FOSH) are seeking artists of all kinds to participate in the Art in the Hollow–Swede Hollow Plein Air Art Fest. The time is from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 22 in Swede Hollow Park. The event will give park visitors an opportunity to see artists at work in the open-air setting of Swede Hollow, which is especially lovely in spring.

The fest is a family event. School classes are invited to participate. Parents and children are welcome and sidewalk chalk will be provided for children to draw Swede Hollow scenes of their own along the paved paths. Other children’s activities are planned, such as face painting and crafts.

Former Swede Hollow residents and Hamm's Brewery employees love to come back to Swede Hollow and they will be on hand to share stories about this picturesque valley.

The senior class at TCAHS has formed four committees which are working on different aspects of planning the event. They include include Advertising & Marketing (flyers, Facebook page, etc.), Artist Outreach (goal of 25 artist participants), Fundraising and Activities Coordination for the day of the event.

TCAHS is a senior high charter school located at 835 East Fifth Street that works to empower young adults to become tomorrow's leaders, thereby making a difference in the world they live in. FOSH is a nonprofit organization that works on Swede Hollow projects such as plantings, cleanups, education, history tours and events. FOSH is planning to make this one of its annual events.

The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council is a co-sponsor of the event. Please help spread the word. For more information call 651-776-0550 or email artinthehollow@gmail.com

In April, St. Paul will see the beginning of an exciting addition to our community. Hmong Village will be our year-round open market right here on the East Side. Zos Hmong, the name of the marketplace, is the collaboration of nine business partners who took over a vacant building at 1001 Johnson Parkway. It once housed offices for the St. Paul public schools and now has been reused (a term we all like to hear these days) and revamped to make spaces that will house up to 335 vendors and other businesses in the adjacent office spaces.

The spaces are well thought out and beautifully designed, with areas for resting, eating and moving. Just think of all the exercise you could get while completing your shopping and having a unique cultural experience at the same time

Right now there are 295 vendors that will be in residence at the opening in April (date to be announced). These will include 30 produce tables that will provide locally grown and shipped-in materials, depending on the weather. Floral vendors will also have fresh-cut flowers for sale.

General merchandise stalls will carry clothes, shoes, CD’s, and jewelry, just to name a few.

Six different kitchens along the back wall will be open for eating in at a corridor of tables, or for take- out.

The restaurants' diversity so far ranges from Vietnamese and Thai to Laotian and Hmong styles of food.

One of the best things about this market is that it is open all year round, seven days a week. Proposed hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with restaurant/food vendors open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Hmong Village operators hope that local schools will take advantage of field trip opportunities to have the children experience the market and its cultural richness and explore the diversity of foods offered.

They also have expectations that this site may become a destination for not only locals but visitors to the city of St. Paul.

Hmong Village is for our whole community to enjoy and be a part of. Yia Vang, one of the managing partners says, “we are not in business just to make a profit, but to give back and be connected to our community.” He is thrilled to be part of this project which has created 500 to 600 jobs, and to enhance an already beautiful St. Paul.

There are still openings for food, produce and merchandising vendors if you have an interest in this endeavor.

What a great spring adventure to look forward to. I personally can’t wait to take my children and go shopping. See you there soon!

Officers Chris McGuire and Seth Snedden have been the Dayton’s Bluff beat officers for nearly three years. They are part of the Eastern District Police SITE unit which is made up of eight officers working Dayton’s Bluff, Railroad Island and Payne Phalen.

Beat officers generally work an assigned area like Dayton’s Bluff, but may also work with other SITE officers on specific neighborhood problems. Unlike patrol officers, they are ordinarily not required to respond to service calls.

Beat officers also develop relationships with neighborhood people. They attend block club meetings and the Dayton’s Bluff monthly community meeting and they get to know Dayton’s Bluff neighbors.

Officers McGuire's and Snedden's work includes getting problem properties closed down, helping neighbors work with each other, talking with neighbors about behavior issues, working with landlords who have problems and working in cooperation with other city departments to resolve problems in the neighborhood.

Dayton’s Bluff officers carry a cell phone that is specifically dedicated to be used by Dayton’s Bluff residents to contact them about neighborhood problems, questions, or to give them information. The cell phone number is 651-341-7637.

Reminder: if you need an officer right away or if there is a crime in progress call 911 for emergency or 651-291-1111 for non emergency.

The Strip Club (www.domeats.com) is one of the newest restaurants in Dayton’s Bluff, and a uniquely special dining experience. It’s located in a wonderfully restored historic building on Maria Avenue, at the corner of East Sixth Street. The Strip Club has been widely praised for its elegant dining experience, world-class menu from Chef J. D. Fratzke and a beautiful view of the St. Paul skyline.

On the evening of Sunday, March 14, the restaurant will host up to 60 people for a specially prepared five-course menu, paired with wines, as a fundraiser for the community programs of the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council (www.daytonsbluff.org). The first 60 people who reserve their place will be treated to a marvelous menu, so email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call 651-772-2075 for more information and to get your seat for this unique Dayton’s Bluff experience.

Don’t wait to reserve your seat; they will be reserved on a first come, first served basis, and the event is likely to sell out. This will be a fun experience and will also bring some needed funds to support our community programs in Dayton’s Bluff.

The restaurant consistently receives good reviews from diners who come from throughout the metro area. To read some of them, go to http://www.mspmag.com/dining/restaurantguide/82920.asp.

The next Dayton's Bluff Community Meeting is Thursday, March 4, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council, 798 East 7th Street (at 7th and Margaret). The council holds a community meeting on the first Thursday of most months.

The object 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 improving Dayton’s Bluff

If addresses of problem properties are sent to Karin DuPaul before the meeting, she will submit them to police and code enforcement officers. They will then research the properties and bring relevant information to the meeting. All Dayton’s Bluff residents are welcome to attend. Send addresses to, or get more information at, Karin
@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075.

Four city neighborhoods, including Dayton’s Bluff, will share in a targeted $18 million federal housing grant recently announced. The funds are focused on the city’s four Invest Saint Paul (ISP) neighborhoods which have the highest need for these funds.

The program, known as NSP2, will focus on purchasing vacant, foreclosed or abandoned houses with no more than four housing units in them. The city, working with the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council and the Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Service (www.dbnhs.org), will rehab and resell as many of them as are feasible, and demolish those not cost-effective to rehab. Vacant lots created by the program will be marketed as new housing sites.

Dayton’s Bluff will see approximately 25% of the funds directed toward its targeted housing stock. It is expected that this effort, plus a slowly improving economy, will be a big help in stabilizing neighborhoods and help set us up for a much improved neighborhood as we build for a 21st century economy. Current owners of rental property, as well as Dayton’s Bluff homeowners, can take note that more help for dealing with our housing problems is on the way.

In support of this program, the Community Council will be contacting local residents, businesses, organizations, and block clubs to establish complementary activities in support of the program. External surveys of selected properties will be done, beautification programs initiated and targeted clean-up/fix-up campaigns undertaken. For more info on those efforts, contact Karin@DaytonBluff.org or 651-772-2075.

The national housing bust has affected neighborhoods throughout the country and will continue to present problems for several years into the future. Reports on the housing crisis have observed that the problem started with sub-prime mortgages failing, then evolved into foreclosures caused by job losses. It is not expected to get better until the job market substantially improves.

St. Paul experienced 1,866 foreclosures in 2009. As of January 25, 2010, there were 1,561 vacant, foreclosed or abandoned houses in the city. This new program will acquire 3-400 of them, thus taking a big bite of that inventory and helping to stabilize local housing prices. This is the second wave of major federal help for acquiring such houses, and represents a continuing effort by cities to invest in their housing stock. Acquisition prices have dropped, and rehab costs have also moderated, enabling these funds to go a lot farther.

The program has a strong jobs component as well, in that the city will rely on local small contractors and businesses to implement the program. For more information, go to the following site: http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=54 and scroll down to Neighborhood Stabilization Program. You can also find information about other city projects; such as the Federal

American Recovery and Reinvestment program and its St. Paul impact, and the St. Paul Mortgage Foreclosure Program for help to prevent foreclosures.

So what’s new? A while ago I sent in a letter that talked about East Side facilities being closed and warned readers to watch out. Unfortunately, I was right to be concerned. What gets me is how this side of town usually ends up with more bruises than elsewhere.

Unless my math is rusty, it looks like a majority of the closures of city recreation centers that were recently announced are located on the East Side. Highwood Hills and Frost Lake, which have always been housed in schools, will now be the responsibility of the school system instead of the city Parks and Recreation Department. Fat chance that they will take over the programming.

The City Academy charter school will now control the Wilder building. East View is housing Brunette Boxing, Inc. and Twin City Barbell, Inc. The Hmong Youth Education Services has already set up shop in what was the Margaret Recreation Center.

That’s five for us and, I believe, the rest of St. Paul only lost four. In fact a new recreation center is even being
opened this spring across the street from Central High School. And we are only a third of the city. The groups that are replacing the city have good programs, but the community is going to lose access to facilities paid for by taxes.

I’m also annoyed by the language used by the Parks Department. Remember, when Parkway Elementary was eliminated, school board officials said it was being “re-purposed.” The original students were shooed away and the building now has a fancy new name—seems like a closing to me.

The city may be taking euphemism lessons from the school administration. When writing about the shut-down of recreation systems it always uses the term “re-partnering” instead of closing. Odd! Was there an earlier partnership we never knew about?

One online reporter has described it as “privatizing.” I suppose in most cases this is more like “non-profitizing.” But that’s just an annoyance.

I would like to protest the fact that the East Side was hit so hard. Of course it’s too late to do anything about it. But maybe we should start to be more proactive and watchful.

The school system may try to make another run at Sheridan Elementary in the future. If the economy ever turns around and the city budget improves, perhaps we should try to get some of the recreation centers “un-repartnered,” if you’ll excuse the expression.

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 March, the meetings are on the 17th and 19th.

The meetings are 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. There will not a hike in March; the next hike will be Saturday, April 3. Hikers meet at 10:30 a.m. in Indian Mounds Park at Earl Street and Mounds Boulevard.

The route winds through Mounds Park to the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and then follows the Bruce Vento Recreational Trail through Swede Hollow Park to the new East Side Heritage Park. Along the way leaders and hikers will share stories and learn some of the area's local history. The hike is about four miles long with some moderately rough terrain. Transportation will be available to return to Mounds Park, if needed.

Join the hike and explore some of the area's parks and the regional trails. For more information contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@Daytonsbluff.org.

Looking for a summer job? Want to give back to your community? Apply to be an intern at the Community Design Center of Minnesota! Located at 731 East Seventh Street (right by Swede Hollow Café and Metro State), the Community Design Center is a 40-year-old nonprofit organization that operates youth programs aimed at engaging young people in their community and providing them with experiences that enrich their lives and develop important life skills.

In the Garden Corps Program, interns plant, maintain,and harvest seven gardens throughout the East Side using sustainable growing methods. Interns also run a Community Supported Agriculture program and operate a farmers’ market stand.

In the Conservation Corps, interns build rain gardens, remove invasive species and restore native habitat in conservation areas such as Swede Hollow Park and Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.

All interns learn job skills, develop leadership skills around environmental issues and participate in weekly classes and field trips covering a wide range of topics around careers, food and the environment.

Applications for new interns are due on Friday, April 9, 2010. Interns must be between 14 and 18 and live or go to school on St. Paul's East Side. Income restrictions may apply‒for questions or to request an application, please contact Lauren Anderson, Program Manager, at 651-228-7073 or landerson@comdesignctrmn.org.

Bring the whole family for a preview of summer fun and safety! The St. Paul Fire Department and East Side Network Café will sponsor a Safety Fun Fair and Summer Youth Programming Registration Event on Thursday, April 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m, at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center, 800 Conway Street, St. Paul.

Fun activities for the kids, an array of summer camps and programs for parents to browse, and a free indoor picnic supper for everyone. No charge, no need to register. Just bring your family along and join the fun!

The next Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Microentrepreneur Class is starting in April 2010. This program helps start-up and young businesses on the East Side. All East Side entrepreneurs are welcome.

Class training lasts eight 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 eight 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 the 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 April 2010 and class size is limited.

Please call Karin at 651-772-2075 or email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org for an application.

Find out how they can help the environment and beautify your yard. Rain gardens are specially designed and planted to capture rainwater and snowmelt so it can seep naturally into the ground. On St. Paul’s East Side, neighborhood and environmental groups are working to encourage rain gardens as a way to “green” our communities and protect the water quality of the Mississippi River.

Two upcoming workshops will provide help and answer questions on how to create a rain garden. Whether you are a homeowner or renter, plan to attend the workshop at the location that works best for you.

Thursday, March 4, 6:30 p.m.
Wilder Recreation Center
958 Jessie St.
St. Paul, MN 55101

Please RSVP by Monday, March 1, to Becky Meyer at the East Side Neighborhood Development Company at rebeccameyer@esndc.org, or 651-288-8750.

Tuesday, March 9,
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Metro State University Library
Room 302 (Eco Lab)
645 East 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55106

Landscape specialist Shawn Tracy and other local experts will be on hand to provide advice tailored to your property and your interests. They will help you:

This workshop is presented by the Capitol Region Watershed District, Dayton’s Bluff Community Council’s Greening Dayton’s Bluff, East Side Neighborhood Development Company, Lower Phalen Creek Project and Ramsey Conservation District.

Raise your own fruits and vegetables in a garden plot at the new Skidmore Park Community Garden!

Plots come in two sizes: 40 square feet for $20 per year and 64 square feet for $25 per year. Applications are available online at www.daytonsbluff.org and at Facebook (www.Bit.ly/bDQRI7) or at the District Council office, 798 East Seventh Street.

Submit applications to the council office by mail or in person. They must be received no later than April 24, 2010, and are limited to one application per household. Plots will be assigned in the order applications are received. To receive a garden plot, you must attend the Spring Kickoff Work Day on May 1 at 9:00 a.m. at the Skidmore Park Community Garden, 1085 East Fourth Street. Questions? Contact us at: skidmorepark@gmail.com or 651-772-2075.

In March and April, the Dayton's Bluff Community Council will host two presentations to get gardeners ready for spring.

Are you confused about what heirloom, cultivar or hybrid means on the seed packet? Do you want to know what open-pollinated means?

On Tuesday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. Mary Mac, a former Ramsey County Master Gardener who lives in Dayton’s Bluff, will present information on growing heirloom seeds. She will answer questions on care of the young plants and how to rate their quality.

Mary Mac will make a second presentation on Tuesday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m on working with organic soil. She will unravel the how-tos and what-ifs of growing your flowers and vegetables organically. She will answer your questions about preparation, weed control and bug control.

Both presentations will be held in the council meeting room, 798 East Seventh Street, St. Paul.

On March 18 at 7:00 pm, August Hoffman will read from his book, Unity Through Community Service Activities and answer questions from the audience. The event will take place at the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council meeting room at 798 East Seventh Street. The author is a professor of psychology at Metropolitan State University.

The book points to community service as an ideal way to help define how young people deal with each other and to facilitate these interactions. It addresses ways to overcome divisions, foster multicultural group development, and reduce ethnocentrism and ethnic conflict.

Dayton's Bluff gardeners may be particularly interested in one of Professor Hoffman's local projects. With his students at Metro State, he has created a community garden in the greenhouse on the grounds just above the university library's parking lot.

According to Sage Holben, organizer of the event, "August focuses as much on community gardens as on building communities." To ensure a space, email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org or call Karin at 651-772-2075.