Rail Noise Listserv is Available

If you would like to be added to the listserv that will be used to keep neighbors informed about the noise situation at the CP Rail yard, contact Betsy at district1council@aol.com.

This listserv will allow its members to discuss what's happening as well as to share information from the railroad and our elected officials.

District 1 Now on Facebook

So we realize that a lot of people are on Facebook these days and on Facebook often. So we have finally joined the club! We have been on Ning, but thought it might be easier for everyone if we were where most people doing this social networking actually spend time.

We hope that people will join us there and start talking about things that concern you. You can talk to us and talk to each other that way.

The more connected we are, the better off we will all be! Here's where we are - District1 Facebook

Rail Noise Meeting Held

On Tuesday, September 22 thirty-five District 1 residents met with a representative of Canadian Pacific Rail to talk about the increase in noise from the trains in the past two years. Everyone got a chance to tell about their experience and CP Rail got information to help figure out what is going on.

But more information is needed...

So we have a series of next steps including:

1. CP Rail will talk to local managers and make sure that brakes are being properly released and that computer programs are not being bypassed in the "humping" process;
2. We have also asked if they can check whether the manufacturer of the "Hard Quiet" brakes has changed, or if the software controlling the process has changed in the past two years;
3. Kathy Lantry's office will look to see if city decibel meters can be loaned out to the community (we have residents who have volunteered to be sites for the meters) so we can document the noise levels - this will define whether the RR is in compliance with restrictions;
4. CP Rail will investigate other types of braking systems;
5. And residents will call the CP Rail Complaint Line with documentation of incidents of high noise levels. This number is 1-800-766-7912.

When calling in incidents, be as specific as possible - date/time, type of noise, where it is happening, what kind of railcar (if possible), and length of time the noise continued. You can also email the information to Community_Connect@cpr.ca

Help us get this problem solved!! We will meet again in January 2010 to see if the problem has improved. And check back here for updates...

New Fundraising Effort - Online Auction

The District 1 Community Council is collaborating with a local resident to run an online auction to raise money for the organization. We are seeking items you may be willing to donate that are worth at least $20 - items that you don't need anymore but that have some value to someone else, but are not items that you might donate to Goodwill or a Thrift store. (see your copy of the District 1 News for the types of items we are talking about...)

We are asking that people drop these items off on Saturday, October 17 between 9a and 4p at the Faith Alliance Church parking lot - 520 N. Howard. We will then auction them off online and send you a receipt of donation for the value at which the item sold.

We hope that this will provide us additional funding to support our efforts to keep the neighborhood informed, gather information from neighbors, and work toward making our community even better than it already is.

Please consider donating items on October 17!! For more information, contact us at 651.501.6345 or by email at district1council@aol.com.

Thanks!!

Fall Festival at Conway

On Saturday, September 26 from 10a - 2p there will be an East Side Pride Fall Festival at Conway Recreation Center.

There will be an afternoon of football, carnival games and food. Meal deals will be sold for $2 and include hot dogs, chips and soda.

Come join the fun!!

Submitted by the St. Paul Parks and Rec Dept.

Site Plan available

The proposed site plan for the Comforts of Home assisted living and memory care unit, to be built at 1880 Old Hudson Rd, is now available.

This new development will replace the long-vacant eastern section of the Ramada Inn site. It will be next door to La Quinta Hotel and will include new landscaping along with their standard design.

If you are interested in seeing the plans and commenting, call the District Council to arrange a time to view them (651.501.6345).

Mayor Has Citizen Committee Openings

The Mayor is seeking residents willing to sit on the following committees:

Advisory Committee on Aging, the Planning Commission, Homeless Advisory Board, RiverCentre Convention and Visitors Authority, Bicycle Advisory Board, and the Downtown Airport Advisory Commission.

For more information and the application form, go to this site.

Get Ready to Clean Up the Neighborhood!

The Community-wide Clean-Up is coming Saturday, October 10 from 9a to 1p at Harding High School. This year we are going to see if we can beat our record for numbers of people participating, and amount of stuff that gets recycled (instead of being trashed!!). So get ready to clean out your basement, attic, garage, yard... well the whole place, actually!

If you have clean, jute-backed carpeting, we can recycle that, too. It needs to be rolled in sections no more than about 4 feet wide, but you usually have to cut it up to get it out of your rooms, anyway. If it is stained, or if it has foam backing, we can take it and put it in the trash, but the clean, jute-backed stuff is actually recycled to other purposes.

Remember, we don't take cans, bottles, and paper that can be recycled at the curbside. Nor do we take household hazardous waste that needs to be taken to the hazardous waste recycling place off of Pennsylvania Ave (between Rice and Jackson). And the compostable stuff is taken either to the Londin Lane Compost site or the Frank and Sims site (woody material).

But construction debris? Bring it over. Reusable furniture and kitchen stuff? Bring it over. Appliances and tires? Bring it over. And of course, fluorescent lights and electronics - we always take those.

Look for the District 1 News coming soon with details, and a flyer from us and Eureka Recycling.

See you at the Clean-Up!

Meeting on Rail Noise

There will be a community meeting on Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30p with elected officials and representatives of Canadian Pacific Railroad to discuss neighborhood complaints about noise from squealing brakes at the hump yard along Highway 61.

The meeting will be at Battle Creek Rec Center.

Please come ready to discuss your experiences with the noise, and, if you have the information, specific instances of especially bad noise from the braking.

You can also call the CP Rail complaint line at 1-800-766-7912.

See you there!!

Leadership Training Opportunities - Teens and Adults

The Wilder Foundation is running two programs this fall, one for adults and one for teens, that are focused on building neighborhood leaders. The teen program is for kids 14-18 years old and is FREE. The teens design a community action project while working with other teens from across the city to understand themselves and community work. Deadline for applications is Thursday September 24.

The program for adults is a 6 month commitment to leadership development. It involves two sessions a month and an overnight retreat. There will be up to 30 participants, and the cost is $100 (actual value is $3500). Some scholarships are available. Childcare and food is provided at each of the sessions. Deadline for applications is Monday September 28.

If you are interested in either of these programs, contact Patty Jo Verdeja at 651.280.2457.

Submitted by the Wilder Foundation.

Billboards in the City

Ellen Biales, Council Member Lantry's aide, is asking for our help with a billboard project. When the City Council passed its updated billboard ordinance, the ordinance anticipated a follow-up resolution to identify high priority billboards across the city that should be removed if the billboard companies want to exchange them for dynamic display signs. The Council would like to pass a resolution that includes high priority locations from which billboards should be removed. They would like us to identify 2-3 billboards that we would like to see removed.

If you need some reminders of potential locations, Scenic Saint Paul has a slide show by ward of all the billboards in the city (we are in Ward 7). You can access the slide show at this website.

Please let Betsy know at the district council office (651.501.6345, or district1council@aol.com) about your priorities. Deadline is October 29.

Submitted by the St. Paul District Council Coordinator and Kathy Lantry's Office

Local Girl Scouts honored for award from Lt. Governor Molnau

On August 10th, Melissa Duchene and Gabrielle Vanderberg were honored by Lt. Governor Molnau at the State Capitol for earning the Girl Scout Bronze Award. Melissa and Gabrielle worked together to educate the public about displaced children and also worked to help seniors in the community.

At Girl Scout Cookie booths in February and March, the girls collected more than 50 cookie packages to donate to a local women and children's shelter, and they used part of their earned cookie dollars to purchase materials needed to make fleece blankets for local seniors.

As Lt. Governor Molnau said at the honoring celebration, "you should never let others cap your potential." The girls have taken these words to heart and are planning their next project to help them earn their Silver Award - doing graffiti clean-up in the community. They will be forming a painting team that will improve one house, fence, garage and business at a time.

Congratulations girls!!

Submitted by Christy Vanderberg

Elders needing help with Community Clean-Up

If you, or someone you know, needs help to get things to the Community Clean-Up, October 10, call our office - 651.501.6345. We will arrange for some of our volunteers to come to your/their home and collect the stuff and haul it away. We need to know what you/they have so we can calculate the fee for disposal, and we need to know where the stuff is. But there is no charge to haul the stuff away, only the usual disposal fees. (The fee schedule will be coming soon in the next issue of the District 1 News, and in a flyer from Eureka.)

Help us help our elders clean out their unwanted junk... we consider elders anyone 65 years or older, but if you have a disability that prevents you from moving the stuff, we can still help out.

Just give us a call!! 651.501.6345 - if you get the answering machine, leave your name, and a phone number and let us know you are looking for help...

Burns Overlook Rehab Update

The overlook is now closed until late December while it is being restored. The stone walls, stone pavers, picnic tables and trash receptacles, and landscaping will all be updated.

During this restoration, the public is cautioned to stay out of the overlook due to safety concerns.

Submitted by MNDOT.