Local Food Hubs - Low Cost seeds and seedlings!!

The snow is melted and the soil is ready… it’s gardening season once again! Registration is still open for Twin Cities residents who are interested in joining their local Hub, or neighborhood gardening network, where they can connect with other gardeners and get access to low-cost seeds and plants. The Local Food Resource Hubs will hold a Saint Paul seed and seedling distribution event on Saturday, May 18. The Saint Paul Hubs - THE EASTSIDE, Midway, and West 7th/Westside will hold their distribution from 9:30am-12:30pm at Gordon Parks High School (1212 University Ave W) (Griggs and University).

The Hubs are designed to provide household gardeners and community gardeners the tools and education they need to grow, preserve, cook and compost their own fresh produce by offering supplies, classes and connections. Hubs benefit neighborhoods by increasing community connectedness and increasing access to healthy food. Four Hubs have been established in Minneapolis: Northside, Southside, Phillips/Ventura Village, and Northeast/Southeast, and three Hubs will be active in St. Paul this year: Midway, East Side, and West 7^th/West Side.

Residents can join a Local Food Resource Hub and select one of three garden packages. Prices vary by size and scholarships are available. Memberships are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To reserve a membership spot, residents can contact Gardening Matters at 612-821-2358, register at a seedling distribution on May 18, download the membership form (in English, Spanish, Hmong or Somali), or sign up online at www.gardeningmatters.org/hubs.

  

This is the third year of the Local Food Resource Hubs program. Last year the Local Food Resource Hubs Network included 600 members, distributed more than 14,000 packets of seeds and 15,000 seedlings, and measurably expanded residents’ food growing skills through classes and trainings. 

The Hubs are supported in part by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support through the Statewide Health Improvement Program, Homegrown Minneapolis, Afro-Eco, CAPI, Waite House, the Northside Fresh Coalition, Ventura Village, Northeast Park, Colombia Park, Corcoran, and Powderhorn Park neighborhood associations, Southeast Como Neighborhood Improvement Association, Little Kitchen Foodshelf, East Side Food Co-op, Hamline-Midway Coalition, East Side Prosperity Campaign, Healthy West 7th Coalition, Growing the West Side, and many neighborhood partners. 

City's Tree Advisory Panel Has Vacancies from our area

The Tree Advisory Panel’s Mission:  To serve as a link between the Forestry section and the citizens of Saint Paul to preserve, promote and enhance the urban forest of Saint Paul.

TAP web link: http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=3571

Monthly meetings are currently held on the third Wednesday of every month from 5:30-7 pm.

There is a vacancy for someone from Ward 7 (also Wards 5 and 6) and for a business representative.

This is a good opportunity for someone who has an interest in preserving the urban forest for environmental, economic, social, whatever reasons you may have.

The link above will take you to the place to get in touch with Rachel Coyle, a Saint Paul City Forester...

Phalen Boulevard closed April 29-May 3

St. Paul area motorists and pedestrians may experience delays as Phalen Boulevard closes between Mississippi Street N. and Olive Street in the early morning on Monday, April 29.

During the closure, a posted detour will direct motorists to bypass the closure using Mississippi Street N., University Avenue E., and Olive Street. Area pedestrians are encouraged to use alternate routes.

The closure is needed for water main installation work as part of the I-35E Cayuga improvement project. The roadway will reopen by late evening on Friday, on May 3. 

The I-35E Cayuga improvement project aims to reconstruct I-35E between University Avenue and Maryland Avenue, including replacement of the Cayuga Bridge, the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge and the railroad and railroad bridges along I-35E. Read more about the Cayuga project by visitinghttp://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/35estpaul/cayuga.html.

New Park Clean Up Program Launched

New program will focus on engaging volunteers through the use of social media and offers participants a chance to win a four pack of pool admissions.

In the wake of two late-season snowstorms that forced the cancellation of the annual Citywide Park Cleanup, the Department of Parks and Recreation is announcing the launch of #CleanupStPaul, a park cleanup program encouraging volunteers to clean up parks and post photos of their efforts to Facebook or Twitter.

Participants in the #CleanupStPaul program are asked to go out and collect trash and other debris from area parks, snap photos of their full trash bags and upload the photos to Facebook or Twitter. Photos are asked to be tagged with the hashtag #CleanupStPaul and the tagged photos will be shared on the Department of Parks and Recreation social media accounts.  

“Each year the Citywide Cleanup event is responsible for removing two to three tons of trash from our parks and engages more than 1,000 volunteers,” Department of Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hahm said. “With the cancellation of this year’s event, we are in desperate need of volunteers to take the initiative and clean up our local parks. #CleanupStPaul is designed to utilize social media, encourage people to participate in park cleanup, and highlight the efforts of our volunteers.”

Trash bags for #CleanupStPaul can be picked up Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Como Office located at 1100 Hamline Ave North. Volunteers unable to pick up bags during the scheduled pickup time can contact Andy Rodriguez at 651-632-2411 to schedule an alternative time. Volunteers may leave full trash bags next to the nearest park garbage can for Park staff to pick up.

Participants who post a hashtagged photo will be entered into a drawing to win a four pack of single day admissions to any of the city-operated aquatic facilities.

For more information on #CleanupStPaul, visit www.stpaul.gov/parks or the Department of Parks and Recreation Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/stpaulparks. #CleanupStPaul runs through May 10.

CarFit: Ensuring Your Car’s Safest Fit--for drivers 55+ AND Looking for Volunteers

The RSVP Volunteer Program, sponsored by Volunteers of America Minnesota, is bringing a free driver safety event to many locations this spring.  At this educational event, drivers 55 and over will receive a quick but comprehensive check of how well they and their vehicles work together.   

Trained volunteers will ask simple questions to complete a 12-point  checklistof things like mirror adjustments, seatbelts, lights, flashers, and more.  The entire process takes about 20 minutes per vehicle, and participants leave with recommended safety adjustments and adaptations, a list of local resources--and greater peace of mind.  

CarFit is NOT a driver assessment program.  It was developed as a public service by the American Society on Aging in collaboration with AARP, American Occupational Therapy Association and AAA in order to increase driver safety.

The RSVP volunteer program is part of a national organization that matches people 55 and over with opportunities to serve the community. One of RSVP's main focus areas is helping older adults and people with disabilities to remain safe and independent  for as long as possible.

Interested drivers can find more information by calling 952-945-4162 or by visiting www.car-fit.org/carfit/registercarfit/MN

Persons interested in volunteering for the upcoming events can attend a training at Conway Rec Center (2090 Conway St.) on Tuesday, May 7 from 9:30a - 12:30p. Call 952-945-4162 to reserve a spot.

Battle Creek Park Clean Up Postponed

Because of the crazy weather we are having, the Battle Creek Park Clean Up was postponed from last Saturday until April 27 from 9a to 11:30a. There is still time to sign up to participate.

See earlier blog from March 18 for full details about what happens at this clean up. In addition to contacting Sue Moyer at the addresses listed on the March blog post, you can also contact Jennifer Fink at Ramsey County Parks - jennifer.fink@co.ramsey.mn.us

Coyote Alert for Battle Creek!

A notice from Council Member Kathy Lantry - it was sent specifically to the Battle Creek area, but everyone should be aware. The brochure that is mentioned is available from our office and is in the process of being updated by Animal Control.

Dear Neighbor:

The Ward 7 City Council Office and Saint Paul Animal Control have been receiving complaints regarding coyotes in (the Battle Creek) neighborhood.  According to reports we have received from neighbors, the coyotes appear to be bolder than usual and this behavior has some residents concerned about how to deal with these urban animals.

Understanding the behavior of coyotes and how to change it are important first steps in dealing with the problem. (There) is a brochure (available) that gives some basic information about coyotes and a few simple tips for discouraging interaction with humans and pets.  (Contact D1 at 651.578.7600 for a copy.)

We also encourage you to review a video that was presented by a wildlife specialist to an audience in Bloomington, Minnesota.  The community members who participated in this presentation were reporting similar concerns to those expressed by some of your neighbors.  The video is about 1 hour long, but we urge you to watch the entire piece as there is some very helpful information in it regarding how to live with urban coyotes.  The video can be accessed at this web address:

http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us/cityhall/dept/police/specops/animal/coyote/coyote.htm

The City of Saint Paul will be placing some notices in Battle Creek Park to make sure that the general public is aware of the presence of coyotes in the area.  We hope that by sharing good information with the public and property owners, we can be effective at changing the behavior of these animals.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Ward 7 Office if you have any questions about this information.  You can also contact Saint Paul Animal Control with questions or if you observe a coyote that is overly aggressive or appears sick or injured.

Sincerely,

Kathy Lantry                                                 Saint Paul Animal Control

Council President – Ward 7                           651-266-1100

651-266-8670

Pedestrian Safety Campaign - Interested?

Citywide Pedestrian Safety Campaign - Call for Volunteers
Do you care about pedestrian safety? Do you want to ensure that the roads of Saint Paul are safe for all users? Join us in building a citywide pedestrian safety campaign!

• An increase in pedestrian fatalities across the state prompted MNDOT to unveil a “Share the Road” pedestrian awareness campaign in the fall of 2012 (http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sharetheroad/ped/index.html). They have some materials available for use, but it's up to neighborhood groups to help spread the word! 
• Neighborhoods have developed their own pedestrian awareness campaigns in the past, but there hasn’t been a collaborative citywide effort.
• Street engineering and enforcement can help make the streets safer for pedestrians, but without education, it won't get us very far. 
• Everyone is a pedestrian at some point during their day, once they leave their car, bike, or bus. Why not make it safer for everyone to get around? 

Join us in building a citywide pedestrian safety campaign! We hope to bring together partners from all across the city to gain visibility and make a lasting impact and we need your help! Contact Callie, Community Organizer for the Macalester-Groveland Community Council atcallie@macgrove.org/651-695-4000 to learn more and get involved.

Oh My Blooming BACK!!

It’s Springtime (we hope)! Many people will spend more time outside gardening, mowing, and weedings. Gardening is great, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, is your body ready? It is important to stretch your muscles before reaching for your gardening tools. Gardening utilizes the back, legs, shoulders, and wrists.  Warm-up and cool-down periods are important in all activity. Stretches during these periods will help alleviate injuries & pain. Prepare your body for this type of physical activity.

If you feel aches and pains, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort. Target cold packs first 48 hours or apply a moist heat pack after 48 hours, and always consider chiropractic care.

Garden Fitness Stretches

• Do not bounce or jerk your body, and stretch as far and as comfortably as you can. Stretching should not be painful!

• Prop your heel on a stool or step, keeping the knees straight. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh, or the hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds.

• Stand up, balance yourself, and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Pull your heel towards your buttocks and hold the position for 15 seconds.

• Do the “Hug your best friend.” Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse. Repeat twice. Finally, be aware of your body technique, form and posture while gardening. Kneel, don’t bend, and alternate your stance and movements frequently.

This information is brought to you by Dr. Joshua Kary of HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab in St. Paul. 651.731.1880

Eastview Clean Up Cancelled!

We had been working with local residents to do a park clean up this Saturday, April 13 at Eastview Park. It would have also included a potluck and open house to hear about all the great activities that are being planned for this summer at that location.

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel due to the weather. The City cancelled all their park clean up activities for this week, and Parks could not attend our event to communicate all their plans.

So we will reschedule for a later date - probably sometime in May when we have a better chance of warmer and drier weather. Safety first, after all...

So our apologies to everyone who was planning on attending. We will let you know as soon as a new date is set.

A day in the life of Conway Rec...

As we were dealing with the Parks Department over the upcoming privatization of Conway Rec Center, they kept telling us that the center was under-utilized. As we questioned them about this, we discovered that Parks uses registrations for sports activities and after-school activities as the metric for usage. That is, when people pay to attend events, or participate in sports, they are counted. If they are just stopping in for a pick-up game, or to hang out with friends, if they use the park grounds and stop in to use the restroom or get a drink, they are not counted. If participants at the center are a part of a partner program - such as the senior activities, or our meetings or other community meetings, they don't get counted... Seems a strange way to assess the impact of a facility on its local community.

Anyway, on one night in late February, we took pictures of the stuff happening at Conway and here's what we found - kids playing basketball, kids learning hip-hop moves, seniors doing art projects, and folks lined up for help from AARP in doing their taxes. What we didn't get photos of were the kids just hanging out in the entry talking with each other and adults, doing homework, or snacking.

See what you think makes a successful community center...