Kids Learn Tennis at the Parks!

Kids in our area are having a chance to learn how to play tennis at our local parks (see blog entry for May 13 for details of the program). Every morning kids are gathering at Conway Rec Center, for example, in groups of the same ages to learn from dedicated teachers.

What a great opportunity this is for our young people!! Keep this in mind for the kids you know for next year...

Backyard Campfire Tips

Although "recreational fires" are allowed in our backyards - the backyard campfire - there are still restrictions on those fires because any fire is dangerous...

1. Maximum fuel area of the fire is 3 feet across and 2 feet high.
2. No burning of rubbish, paper products or construction material is allowed! Burning trash in your yard is NOT allowed.
3. Fires not contained in an approved burning appliance must be at least 25 feet from a building or combustible material.
4. Fires contained in an approved burning appliance must be no closer than 15 feet from a building or combustible material.
5. Any conditions that could cause a fire to spread to within 25 feet of a building must be eliminated prior to starting the fire.
6. You must have the means to put out the fire at hand - buckets and shovels, garden hoses, or a minimum 4-A fire extinguisher.
7. Fires must be constantly attended by someone who knows how to use the equipment to put it out.
8. Fires must not be started if the wind is blowing 10mph or more.
9. The Fire Department can order the fire to be put out if they think it is hazardous or produces obnoxious smoke or odors.

If you are a neighbor who is concerned about someone else's backyard fire, call 911 and the department will come out without siren and lights to investigate and extinguish the fire if necessary.

For questions, call 651.266.8989.

Submitted by the St. Paul Fire Marshal

Check out the Traffic Calming Signs!

On Wednesday, June 24 new traffic signs went in along Third Street between Birmingham and White Bear Avenues. These unusual signs are designed to create an environment that makes people wonder what is going on and therefore SLOW DOWN as they are driving down the street. The signs don't stay up for too long (2 months) because people get used to them being there and their effect wears off. So the city then reuses the signs and moves them to another location. Their goal is improved safety through slower traffic speeds and they have been proven extremely effective.

These signs were funded by Public Art St. Paul, a nonprofit organization that focuses on bringing art to the urban environment. They were DONATED to the city for use and reuse. We are the first neighborhood on the eastside to benefit from this project. And it will tie into another traffic calming project called "Paint the Pavement" that will go in later this year off of Third Street on Margaret. The Paint the Pavement project is funded by a small grant from Public Art St. Paul and by the neighbors who will actually put in the art work.

These approaches have been proven to be a more effective way to slow traffic than stop signs and other engineered methods. Check out David Engwicht's site for more information on these methods.

Vacant Homes Forum

Please join the District 1 Community Council Safety Task Force for a forum on the effect vacant homes have on neighborhoods. The forum will be Tuesday July 21, 6:30p at the Conway Rec Center (2090 Conway St. - Community Meeting Room). Officials from the St. Paul Departments of Safety and Inspection, and the Police Force will be present to discuss this important issue and answer your questions.

Contact Pam McCreary for more information - 651.702.6770 or 651.266.5455.

Aid Available for Weatherizing Homes

Families earning no more than 50% of the state median income  (less than $40,738 for a family of four) may be eligible to receive free home weatherization between now and September 2010 as a part of the economic stimulus package. Priority is given to households with at least one elderly or disabled member and to homes with high heating bills.

Applications are being taken at 28 community action agencies around the state. You can click on this link and then go to "Finding Financial Assistance" followed by the "Weatherization" links.

Submitted by the Minnesota Department of Commerce

Warner Road Update

Residents of Districts 1 and 4, officials from City Public Works and Parks Departments, and from Ramsey County met to discuss the proposed redesign of Warner Road between Childs Road and Highway 61 (a bridge replacement is necessary). They also discussed ways to realign the roads in this area in order to create a comparable design with parkland and connections to the river as Warner Road has closer to downtown.

St. Paul has been working hard for many years to move the road back from the river. St. Paul recently approved designation of this road as part of the Grand Rounds Parkway - an original idea for the city that included an encircling set of parkways (Johnson, Wheelock, Midway parkways, Mississippi River Blvd, Highland Parkway and then along the River...). The Comprehensive Plan calls for building a complete parkway and "greening" it to create a scenic recreational experience and identity.

At the meeting, city staff suggested that money that would have been used to shift the bridge alignment to make way for parkland along the riverside of the road be used to buy parkland to the south and east. Then the shift of the park site along with a new Childs Road bridge and a T-intersection north of the railroad tracks would allow a significant opportunity for public access to the riverfront in this area. The County could proceed with the bridge-work while funding for the park and the other road and trail work is secured.

St. Paul Parks and the Public Works Departments have agreed to work on a preliminary proposal of what this alternative would look like and bring it back to the group for consideration. Ramsey County has also agreed to work with the City on this.

There are 11 design elements from the City's Comprehensive Plan that should be included, but the city has adopted a 25'6" curb to curb paving for the road. This will allow for additional green and trail space, and will help calm traffic.

This effort has been a great example of collaborative work among residents and officials!

Submitted by Tom Dimond, D1 Resident

Emerald Ash Borer

As you may know, they have discovered the Emerald Ash Borer, an extremely destructive invasive pest (looks like a tiny, bright green grasshopper), has been found in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of our fair city. The City and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are putting out traps in other parts of town to see if the infestation is wider-spread (it almost certainly is!!). But those traps don't go any farther east than Rice Street, so we need to keep an eye out for infested trees ourselves.

Here's some resources to help with identification of ash trees, the pest, and potential infestation.

Go to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website for more info and identification aids.

Call St. Paul Forestry if you are concerned about trees on PUBLIC PROPERTY - 651.632.5129.

Call MDA Arrest the Pest Hotline for trees on PRIVATE PROPERTY - 651.201.6684.

DO NOT transport firewood out of Ramsey County!! We are under quarantine.

St. Paul has a very large number of ash trees as boulevard trees, and there are lots of these trees in our parks and around our homes. The City has a plan to replace them, but the costs are enormous. Let's do what we can to keep our trees pest free!!

Planters on Suburban are Planted!

Thanks to the Community Design Center and its participating young people for planting the Suburban Avenue planters on Friday June 19! Council President Kathy Lantry was able to find some funds to award to the CDC so that plants could be bought, planted, weeded, and watered this summer. This is a great project for young people and a huge benefit to our business district.

HOWEVER, money for upcoming years is not guaranteed or even likely. So what we need is for all our residents who value this project, when you visit the local Suburban Avenue businesses, ask to speak to the manager. Then tell the manager that you live in the neighborhood and you hope that they will contribute $100/year to pay for the planters to remain.

If we don't let them know this "amenity" makes a difference, they won't chip in their fair share. The businesses benefit from having an attractive streetscape, they should pay to keep that streetscape looking sharp!

So thanks again to the Community Design Center and to Councilwoman Lantry's office!

Crime Survey Available

Please take some time to complete a short survey on perceptions of crime on the eastside of St. Paul by clicking on the following link.

crime survey

This survey will only take a few minutes and is part of research being done by the University of Minnesota to help eastside neighborhoods figure out how to better communicate who we are.

Thanks for your time.

Submitted by the Eastside Social Leaders Action Network and Merrick Community Services

Free Meal for Kids (18 years and younger)

Once again this summer St. Paul Parks and Rec Department is making free meals available for kids in our neighborhood who are 18 years or younger.

The meals are served at both Battle Creek Rec Center and Conway Rec Center and are supervised by park staff.

Battle Creek meal - from 3p - 4p (regular building hours are 10a - 8:30p M-Th and 10a - 6p F)

       75 S. Winthrop St.

Conway meal - from 4p - 5p (regular building hours are 3 - 8:30p M-Th and 3 - 6p F)

2090 Conway St.

Envisioning better bridges for bikes and pedestrians

St. Paul Smart Trips has established a committee to develop a vision for how freeway crossings in St. Paul should look and function for bicyclists and pedestrians. The committee will meet over the next 6 months to look at exclusive bike/ped bridges as well as multi-use bridges.

Upon completion, the vision will be shared with elected officials and staff at the local, county and state levels with the goal of influencing future bridge design and construction projects.

Join us: We're looking for community members from across St. Paul to join this committee. Interested? Please email jessica@smart-trips.org.

Submitted by St. Paul Smart Trips

Recycling Bins Should be Here June 17

We are scheduled to receive a new shipment of recycling bins on Wednesday June 17 in the afternoon. If you need a bin, call our office and leave your name, address, phone number and tell us whether you are a new resident. Our phone number is 651.501.6345.

We'll make sure you get bins.

Noise Variance Request at the Cherry Pit

The owners/operators of the Cherry Pit at White Bear and Minnehaha are requesting a variance for sound levels. They are planning an outdoor music event on July 11 from 8p to midnight, in association with the Ramsey County Fair (I think...).

There will be a public hearing before the City Council on July 1 at 5:30p (3rd floor council chamber, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd. - downtown). You can also submit comments to us at the district council (Monday June 22 at 6:30p or via email - district1council@aol.com) or in writing to City of St. Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections, 375 Jackson St., Ste. 220, St. Paul, MN 55101-1806.