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Volume 32, No. 6
July 2019
daytonsbluffdistrictforum.org
“The Voice of the Community”
Dayton’s BluffCommunity Council804 Margaret StreetSt. Paul, MN 55106
ECRWSSPostal Customer
NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDTWIN CITIES MNPERMIT NO. 3996
Art in the Hollow agreat success!
Karin DuPaulForum Staff
The weather was perfect for the 10th
Annual Art in the Hollow on Saturday,June 1, in Swede Hollow Park. More than70 artists of all types sold their art, in-cluding paintings, jewelry, photography,pottery/ceramics, textiles, woodcraft,and more. The day included music andart under the East 7th Street ImprovementArches.
Around 2,000 visitors attended thisyear's festival, a number of them explor-ing Swede Hollow for the first time. Theday kicked-off with a delicious array ofbreakfast items for the artists: cinnamonrolls from Swede Hollow Café, coffeefrom The Goat Coffee House, and pas-tries from La Palma. Volunteers includingthe St. Paul Police Reserve were on handall day and helped artists to get their artand equipment down into the hollow.
This year there were three stages featur-ing talent all day. The main stage wasmanaged once again by Paul Garding, awonderful entertainer himself. The actsincluded an excellent Mariachi Band,Kalpulli Yaocenoxtii, Kirk Larson, DJsfrom WEQY, Nancy Guertin who toldSwede Hollow stories, and other greatentertainers. The south stage was in theEast 7th Street Improvement Arches andfeatured 40 performers performing poet-ry, music, spoken word, and dance all dayfrom The TAP organization. This is thesecond year that The TAP has been part
of Art in the Hollow. The TAP is a localgroup that works to bridge the gap be-tween those with disability labels andtheir communities. As their website pro-claims, “When we come together, weALL change. We party. We make friends.We help each other. We live better.”
The third stage was at Hamm Park atEast 7th and Greenbrier Streets, in cele-bration of the upgrades made to HammPark. On the stage were the Kalpulli Yao-cenoxtii dancers, Esencia Mexicana, InaYukka, and Yes Dance Academy. Indige-nous Roots Cultural Center hosted thecelebration event at Hamm Park. TheHamm Park land was donated to the cityof Saint Paul in 1910 by William Hammin memory of his father, TheodoreHamm, who started the Hamm's Brewery.
Artist Diane May provided beautifulface painting in the kids tent, and youthfrom Indigenous Roots staffed the teentent for young people to do art activities.The Swede Hollow history tent wasstaffed by historians Steve Trimble, An-gela DuPaul, and Marilyn McGriff. CheeYang from the St. Paul Parks departmentand Friends of Swede Hollow had visi-tors give input and suggestions on theSwede Hollow Master Plan.
After Art in the Hollow was over andcleaned up, artists, staff, and volunteersenjoyed an “After It’s Over Meal” cour-tesy of Yarusso Brothers and Friends ofSwede Hollow. The celebratory feasttook place in a large tent on loan fromDayton’s Bluff Neighborhood HousingServices. Many partners help make Art inthe Hollow a great success each year.
Karin DuPaul can be reached at [email protected].
Urban Garden Party:Dayton’s Bluff
Community Gardenkicks off summer with
outdoor theater
Mandy OkonekSpecial to the Forum
To celebrate the longest day of theyear, The Dayton’s Bluff CommunityGarden hosted Open Eye Figure The-ater’s outdoor puppet show, KatieTomatie. Open Eye Figure Theaterhas been facilitating roving “drive-way” performances for 17 years, en-couraging neighbors to gather togeth-er and enjoy live outdoor theater intheir driveways, yards, or in thiscase, community garden. In the digi-tal age where most entertainment ex-ists on screen, outdoor theater,sound-tracked with an accordionplayer, provided nostalgia for thetime “pre-internet.” The play wasshowcased in a prefabricated theatererected in the garden, starring hand-crafted papier mache puppets.
The story Katie Tomatie revolvesaround the relationship betweenKatie and her new pal Mr. Boo Boo,
a friendly, whimsical skeleton whomshe meets after accidentally diggingtoo deep in her garden planting atomato seed. Katie and Mr. BooBoo’s adventures were engaging forthe audience and sprinkled in just theright amount of carefully craftedpuns and dad jokes.
The performers stayed around afterthe show to provide all the excitedchildren and audience members anup-close look at the puppets. Afterthe play, Metro State alumnusCameron Ulmer shared his skills ofcircus arts with a juggling and unicy-cle performance.
The green space in the garden pro-vided a perfect venue as neighbors,young and old, connected throughoutdoor theater. The raised gardenbeds provided seating and a talkingpoint for gardeners to showcase theirplots. This year, The Dayton’s BluffCommunity Garden has transformedfrom a seniors-only garden to includegardeners of all ages.
As the garden grows to include el-ders and children, this event provideda great opportunity to celebrate ashared love of gardening and com-munity. More garden information isavailable on Facebook @daytons-bluffcommunitygarden.
Mandy Okonek
An all-ages crowd gathered on Friday, June 21, at Dayton's Bluff Community Garden to watch Open Eye Figure Theater's original production, Katie Tomatie. The family-friendly,community event was the perfect way to kick off summer, enjoying the beautiful weather on the longest day of the year.
Karin DuPaul
Dancers entertain visitors to the 10th Annual Art in the Hollow on June 1.
Page 2 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum July 2019
Dayton’s Bluff Take-a-Hike
On the second Saturday of mostmonths, the Dayton’s Bluff Take-a-Hikewill begin at Indian Mounds Park, atEarl Street and Mounds Boulevard, at10:30 a.m. The next hike will be onSaturday, July 13. The hike is approxi-mately one and a half to two hours longand will end at Swede Hollow Park orEast Side Heritage Park, depending onthe desire of the hikers. Share and learna little history along the way! [email protected] or call 651-776-0550 for more information.
Friends of Swede Hollow
Watch over, restore, and celebrate thehistory of Swede Hollow Park. Join theSwede Hollow community at theirmonthly meeting on Thursday, July 11,at 6:30 p.m. Email [email protected] or call 651-776-0550 for moreinformation and the meeting’s location.
Dayton's Bluff DistrictForum Board Meeting
The Forum is seeking writers andhelp with online content, idea genera-tion, and ad sales – join us at our nextmeeting on Monday, July 8, at 1:00p.m., at Swede Hollow Cafe at 725 E.7th Street. Call 651-776-0550 or [email protected] more information.
Police Community Meetings
The Eastern District Saint Paul Policewill host their monthly meetings forcommunity members at the Eastern Dis-trict Police Office at 722 Payne Avenue,on the corner of Payne and Minnehaha.
The next meetings are on Wednes-day, July 17, at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30p.m. Meetings are intended to be a timeto listen to and address concerns aboutcrime and other issues on the East Side.
SNAP Food Program atCLUES (Comunidades
Latinas Unidas En Servicio)
¿Necesita más comida saludable parala familia? El programa SNAP le puedeayudar. SNAP proporciona fondos paraalimentos que benefician a familias deescasos recursos.
Aún si no es ciudadano, si tiene hijosnacidos en este país ellos podrían cali-ficar. Participar en el programa SNAPno afectará su estatus migratorio.
¡Llame a CLUES para saber si califi-ca! 612-746-3500. Nuestro personal bil-ingüe puede facilitar el proceso parausted y su familia.
Need healthy food for your family?The SNAP program provides funds forlow-income families to buy food. Evenif you are not a citizen, your childrenborn in this country could qualify. Par-ticipation in the SNAP program won'taffect their immigration status.
Call CLUES to find out if you qualifyat 612-746-3500. Our bilingual staff canfacilitate the process for your family.
Twin Cities Mobile Market
The Twin Cities Mobile Market is agrocery store on wheels that brings af-fordable, healthy food directly intoneighborhoods. The Mobile Marketstops at Parkway Gardens Apartments,located at 1145 Hudson Road, onWednesdays, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00p.m.
Visit moundstheatre.org for informa-tion on upcoming events in July. TheHistoric Mounds Theatre is located at1029 Hudson Road, St. Paul, MN55106; 651-772-2253; [email protected].
July at the Dayton'sBluff Library
The following events take place at theDayton’s Bluff library, 645 East SeventhStreet, Saint Paul. The library will beclosed on July 4.
Tuesday, July 9, from 6:30 p.m. to8:30 p.m., Teens Know Best! Teenshave exclusive access to books beforethey are published.
This group meets on the second Tues-day of every month to share opinionsand pizza. Teens Know Best memberswrite reviews of the books they read.The reviews are submitted to the pub-lishers to help guide their decisions.
Summer Spark takes place onWednesdays throughout the summer,featuring performances and other funactivities for kids from 3:00-4:00 p.m.Check out the full calendar of events onpage 5 for the July Summer Spark line-up.
Did you know that you can check outboard games at the library? Library visi-tors can play the games in the library orcheck them out for two weeks. The fulllist of games can be viewed athttp://bit.ly/MetroGames and all areavailable to the public.
For information about these and otherevents check sppl.org or call 651-793-1699. The Dayton's Bluff Library sharesits home with Metropolitan State Uni-versity at 645 East 7th Street.
Wish List Care Packages
Help East Side Elders distribute food,hygiene items, and more to seniors on theEast Side by shopping their Amazon WishList!
Visit www.amazon.com/registry/wish-list/3KK0O1OGFO5NJ to have thesemuch-needed items sent right to theiroffice. From there, a team of volunteerswill distribute them to seniors in need.
With the help of supporters like you,East Side Elders is able to supply gro-ceries and personal care items to seniorsin the community, at no charge to them.These items help stretch their monthlybudgets and give them access to healthyfood and much-needed personal careproducts. Donations can also be droppedoff at our office: East Side Elders, 463Maria Avenue Suite 201, St. Paul, MN55106. A printable wish list can also befound on our website.
Grocery Shopping
Did you know that East Side Elderscan help you and your loved one withgrocery shopping?
Let East Side Elders take a chore offyour long to-do list! To get help withgrocery shopping, call 651-683-2326 oremail [email protected] with adetailed list. From there, East Side El-ders staff put a call out to their groceryshopping team and schedule a day andtime that works for you and the volun-teer for delivery.
Grocery shopping is a donation-basedservice. Donate what you can for theconvenience of not having to head outto the store. Reimbursement for the gro-ceries can be done directly with the vol-unteer - they will bring you a receiptwhen they make their delivery.
Volunteer with EastSide Elders
Did you know that East Side Eldersprovided over 1,600 rides to seniors onthe East Side last year? With the help ofour incredible volunteers, we help olderadults get to medical appointments, thebank, the grocery store, and other er-rands. Each ride helps a senior remainan active, vital part of the community.
As we receive more and more re-quests for help from our senior neigh-bors, we need to grow our team ofvolunteer drivers. Join our team by ap-plying online at EastSideElders.org/Vol-unteer or by contacting us at 651-683-2326. Volunteer drivers have a flexibleschedule and help out when they can, asoften as they choose. Gas cards are alsoavailable for volunteer drivers!
Business Classes
The Dayton’s Bluff NeighborhoodMicroentrepreneur class helps start-upand young businesses on the East Side.All East Side entrepreneurs are wel-come. Class training lasts 12 weeks andincludes topics such as operations man-agement, marketing, financial manage-ment, one-on-one assistance withcreating a successful business, and de-veloping a business plan, plus eighthours of one-on-one assistance with cre-ating and preparing a business plan.
Those who successfully complete thecourse are eligible for ongoing businesssupport services (they don’t have to lo-cate their business in target neighbor-hoods to be eligible).
The course is sponsored by the Day-ton’s Bluff Community Council and theNeighborhood Development Center.There is a small registration fee basedon a sliding scale. Class size is limited,so sign up now. Please call the trainingdepartment at 651-379-8113.
Free Help for East Side Pets
The Animal Humane Society’s Com-munity Outreach program offers specialclinics for pets on the East Side. Theevents provide free wellness exams,vaccines, nail trims, spay/neuter ap-pointment scheduling, guidance fromthe AHS behavior team and St. Paul An-imal Control, free pet food, and more.
For information on upcoming eventsand locations call 651-788-4685 or visithttp://animalhumanesociety.org/out-reach-services-frogtown-and-east-st-paul.
Learn About Medicareand Help Others
Help the Metropolitan Area Agencyon Aging provide one-on-one counsel-ing to Medicare beneficiaries at com-munity partner sites, such as seniorcenters and libraries, in the seven-county metro area.
Make a difference in your commu-nity by becoming a State Health Insur-ance Assistance Program certifiedMedicare Counselor. Help people un-derstand their Medicare options. VisitMetroaging.org/volunteer to learnmore.
Explore Saint Paul witha Walking Tour
Take a free Saint Paul Walking Tourfrom Landmark Center
Visitors and residents alike are invit-ed to explore Rice Park, St. Peter Street,and Saint Paul’s riverfront with Land-mark Center’s Saint Paul WalkingTours. Beginning in June and continuingthrough September, Landmark Centertour guides will lead three differentwalking tours of Saint Paul. Tours arefree and operate on a rotating schedule,departing on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
“Walking tours are great for both visi-tors and residents,” said Bob Wagner, aLandmark Center volunteer and creatorof the walking tours. “People take theirhometowns for granted, but there’s al-ways something new to learn, whetheryou’re a lifelong resident or a tourist.”
The Rice Park Tour: The secondWednesday of each month, departsfrom Landmark Center’s Visitor Infor-mation Desk. The tour circles one ofSaint Paul’s most iconic parks, andstops in the surrounding buildingswhich give the park its central role incity events and celebrations.
The Heart of the City Tour: The thirdWednesday of each month, departsfrom Landmark Center’s North Lobby(6th Street entrance) and travels downhistoric St. Peter Street highlightingsome of the most famous landmarks andinfluential buildings in St. Paul’s histo-ry, including the Hamm Building andMickey’s Dinner.
The Great River Tour: The fourthWednesday of each month, departsfrom Upper Landing Park (ShepardRoad and Eagle Parkway). The tourwalks along the mighty Mississippi,highlighting buildings and locations thathelped make Saint Paul the city it is to-day.
All tours are FREE, operate Junethrough September, and begin at 10:00a.m. Space is limited, reservations arerequired. For more information or tomake a reservation please call 651-292-3276 or visit www.landmarkcen-ter.org/saint-paul-walking-tours.
About Landmark Center: LandmarkCenter is a dynamic, historic culturalcenter and central gathering place indowntown Saint Paul. It is owned andsponsored by Ramsey County and man-aged by Minnesota Landmarks, the non-profit programming and managementagency for the building. Landmark Cen-ter is located at 75 West 5th Street, onRice Park and is accessible to those withimpaired mobility. Parking is availableon street and in nearby Lawson, ScienceMuseum and RiverCentre Ramps. Formore information call 651-292-3225 orvisit www.landmarkcenter.org.
July 2019 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 3
LOU "THE PHOTO GUY" MICHAELS“I COVER ALL THE ANGLES”
50+ YEARS AS A PRO PHOTOGRAPHER
GREAT RATES CONTACT: (612) 638-8159 [email protected]
Mañana Restaurant y Pupuseria
Most Authentic Salvadorian and Mexican FoodCatering and lunch meeting space available
798 East 7th Street
(651) 793-8482On facebook: mananarestaurant
Page 4 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum July 2019
Dayton’s Bluff District Forum
804 Margaret Street, St. Paul, MN 55106Phone: 651-776-0550 E-mail: [email protected]
Monthly circulation: 7,000; also available online at daytonsbluffdistrictforum.org.This publication of Hopewell Communications, Inc., a nonprofit organization, isintended to provide a forum for the ideas and opinions of its readers and to be aninstrument for developing community awareness and pride. Signed articles do notnecessarily represent the views of the Forum. Material from this paper may be re-published if it is attributed to the Dayton's Bluff District Forum and to the author,if any. Articles and letters to the editor are welcome and may be emailed to [email protected], or mailed to the address above. The Dayton'sBluff District Forum is delivered to every home and business in the Dayton's Bluffneighborhood. Outside this area, subscriptions cost $15 per year and may be ar-ranged by calling 651-776-0550.
Board of Directors: Greg Cosimini, Nick Duncan, Karin DuPaul, Sage Holben, Steve Trimble
Editor/layout: Jennifer Gascoigne; Associate Editor: Mark Gallagher
Photographer: Lou “The Photo Guy” Michaels
Next issue: August 2019. Deadline for material: July 10, 2019.
Contest : Where in Dayton's Bluff?
Send your guess to [email protected] with the lo-cation of the neighborhood curiosity pictured below. The reader whosubmits the first correct entry will be notified and the winner will beannounced in the August edition of the Forum. Congratulations toMark Miller, winner of the June contest. Read more about his correctguess in the article at right, “What in Dayton's Bluff.”
What in Dayton'sBluff?
Casey Jones IIISpecial to the Forum
The object in the June “Where inDayton's Bluff?” photo was correctlyidentified as being located near theedge of the bluff in Indian MoundsPark. But what is it?
Physically it is an iron stake firmlyplanted in the ground. The letters onthe top, CBN RR, stand for theChicago, Burlington and NorthernRailroad. It was one of many region-al railroads that existed in the 19thcentury. And like many of those rail-roads, the CBN had a relatively shortlifespan, only existing as an indepen-dent company from 1887 to 1899.
The federal government wanted therail system to expand as fast as possi-ble and encouraged this expansion bygiving railroads tens of millions ofacres of public land, known as landgrants. The railroads could buildtracks and related train facilities onthis land, sell it or do anything else
they wanted with this free land.These land grants were highly con-troversial at the time and to this daythe ownership of some of this land isstill a source of legal contention dueto the open-ended nature of the landgrants.
The CBN RR stake in Mounds Parkis most likely one of many surveymarkers that at one time delineatedthe land owned by the railroad, orpossibly still does own. It likely datesback to the late 1800s.
The CBN merged into the Chicago,Burlington and Quincy Railroad in1899, eventually becoming theBurlington Northern and is now theBNSF. The BNSF continues to havea large presence in St. Paul in thearea below and to the east of thebluffs along the Mississippi River. Isit possible BNSF still owns a part ofMounds Park? Or at some point inthe past was that land given or sold tothe city of St. Paul? That questionwould take much more research toanswer. Is anyone up to the task?
Casey Jones III can be reached [email protected].
Casey Jones III
An iron stake firmly planted in the ground at Indian Mounds Park, displaying theletters “CBN RR,” which stand for the Chicago, Burlington and Northern Rail-road.
July 2019 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 5
Page 6 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum July 2019
View from my porchRe: Shut my mind
Sage HolbenForum Staff
“You must need a thick skin to writefor the general public.” This observa-tion was made shortly after the speakerhad read the ‘Shut my mind - Viewfrom my porch’ piece which appearedin the June issue of the Forum. Yes, Ianswered, having just come from ameeting with several parks and recpeople, the Dayton’s Bluff rec centeron-site manager, and CouncilmemberJane Prince.
I’ll say only that a certain amount ofpassion was expressed by the on-sitemanager. If I were in her place, I mighthave felt the same way - feeling herstaff and her programs were attacked…except they weren’t. She felt the entirearticle was about the Dayton’s Bluffrec center. While we may feel protec-tive and passionate about what we holddear, it helps to call on our objectiveand critical thinking, and bring intobalance all that is in front of us. Thearticle was about a boy; a young boywho tries to make his way in a worldwhere little is in his control; a world inwhich he balances love, fears, play,and heavy responsibilities.
I tried, and failed, to get across thathis fears are his. He owns them. Evenif we think he should feel safe; even ifwe don’t see what he fears; it is not
ours to deny that he fears…no morethan we can say to a woman in a vio-lent relationship, ‘Yourhusband/boyfriend is nice...youshouldn’t be afraid.’ It is not us livinghis (or her) life.
The flip side of developing a thickskin is hearing from the many peoplewho have read and said they weremoved to reflect on their own child-hoods; on people who made a differ-ence in their lives, the safety theyfelt…and how can they now help oth-ers. And they do help the children oftoday...sharing their compassion, help-ing to build dreams, and helping tomake dreams a reality. From the neigh-bors who provide icy treats on a hotday, teach a few chords on a guitar,hire a child or two so they have spend-ing money; permitting children to useher basketball hoop; giving safe hugs,words of caution (in love) when chil-dren are playing or wandering in thestreet. In short, making a differenceand modeling by listening to a child,interacting directly with youth, andsimply answering the door when achild wants to talk, or just visit in aquiet place with a giant cat. Many ofour children’s lives don’t fit within aregular schedule, or programs, but withso many neighbors willing to trulymeet children where they are, our chil-dren can and will flourish. We justneed to provide the nourishment.
Sage Holben can be reached byemail at [email protected].
The Payday Loan Debt Trap
Sara Nelson-PallmeyerExecutive Director, Exodus Lending
Exodus Lending is a nonprofit started in2015, refinancing payday loans for personscaught in what we call the “payday loandebt trap.”
Payday loans are small dollar, unsecuredloans with high interest rates (usually over200%). Unlike a typical loan, payday loanborrowers are required to pay off the loanin full on their next payday. Payday lendersrequire direct access to the borrower's bankaccount and make these loans without fullyinvestigating the borrower's ability to re-pay. Borrowers unable to pay off the loanby their next payday often re-borrow, lead-ing to the payday loan debt trap. Every twoweeks, trapped borrowers pay only the in-terest and fees to "renew," without ever be-ing able to pay off the principal loanamount.
In 2017, nearly 49,000 Minnesotans tookout more than 330,000 payday loans. Bor-rowers averaged eight loans each, with58% of borrowers taking out at least fiveloans, and 10% taking out over 20 loans.
Minnesotans for Fair Lending estimates
that between 1999 and 2014, more than$110 million in interest and fees wasdrained from our communities. Minnesotapayday loan borrowers paid nearly $10million in interest and fees in 2017 alone.That is a large amount of money that is notbeing used for groceries, rent/mortgagepayments, transportation, childcare, andother needed expenses, leading to an in-crease in financial distress for families,which can have devastating physical, emo-tional, and psychological consequencesover time.
Exodus Lending responds by paying offthese predatory loans. Program participantspay back their loans through manageablemonthly payments over 12 months, withno interest and no fees. Participants areMinnesota residents with a steady incomewho have found themselves caught in thepayday loan debt trap. Exodus Lending of-fers referrals to financial counseling, in-centives for steady payments and supportfor personal money management. Thisyear, Exodus Lending is adding reports onpayments to the credit bureaus, so borrow-ers can improve their credit scores.
Persons wishing to find out more or todonate can go to exoduslending.org or call(612) 615-0067.
You got somethin' to say? Say it here! The Dayton's Bluff District Forum welcomes all opinions and neighborhood
anecdotes – send yours to: [email protected].
Opinions expressed in signed articles appearing on page 6 may not representthe views of the Forum.
Deadline for the August issue of the Forum is July 10, 2019.
Won't you be myneighbor?
Annette MorrisSpecial to the Forum
Dayton's Bluff neighbors, thinking ofthe old television show, Mr. Rogers'Neighborhood, who are the people inyour neighborhood, the people thatyou meet each day? This is still one ofmy favorite songs and you may hearme belting out the lyrics at any giventime. “I've always wanted to have aneighbor, just like you...I've alwayswanted to live in a neighborhood, withyouuu...so let's make the most of thisbeautiful day...”
I would like all St. Paul neighbor-hoods to know about my neighbors.My neighbors are all AWESOME and I
would like them all know how much Iappreciate them. It takes a village toraise a child and they have been part ofmy village. I'm a grandmother livingwith her daughter and grandchildren. Ijust had one move on to middle school,two moving up to high school, and oneon her way to college. I am very proudof them and could not have done itwithout the support of my neighbors.
I don't know each of you by nameand don't want to leave anyone out, butI want to say “Thank you!” Thank youfor caring enough to keep those kidsworking on something positive. Thebaked goods, the smiles, the waves,and all of the support you all have giv-en us. Thank you for treating us withrespect and kindness!
“Would you be mine, could you bemine...won't you be my neighbor?”Thanks again, neighbors.
- The Morris Family
Mississippi Market’s$3 CommunityDinners return
Enjoy summer at the co-op with goodfood, great people, and live music
Matt FrankMississippi Market
Mississippi Market is pleased to an-nounce the return of its $3 CommunityDinners this summer. These events willbe held on the fourth Thursdays ofJuly and August from 5:00-7:30 p.m.at the co-op’s East 7th store. Each din-ner will feature an affordable marketmade meal, live music from local mu-sicians, free food samples, communitypartners, raffle prizes, and more. Veganand gluten-free options will be avail-able at both dinners. Save the dates tocelebrate community with good food,great people, and live music. All arewelcome!
Join your neighbors on Thursday,July 25, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. at theEast 7th store to share a $3 CommunityDinner of garlic rosemary chicken orBBQ tofu and potato salad, delicioussoda and sparkling drink samples fromlocal makers Wisco Pop!, free give-aways and hands-on recycling activi-ties from the City of St. Paul, live mu-sic by local reggae musician Van
Nixon, and your chance to win a BearTree hammock.
Thursday, August 22, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. at the East 7th store, don'tmiss the $3 Community Dinner: BBQpulled pork or jackfruit sandwich andcoleslaw featuring delicious free sam-ples from Pastures a Plenty, TripleCrown Organic BBQ Sauce, and EastSide Table, free giveaways and hands-on recycling activities from the City ofSt. Paul, live harp guitar and lap steelmusic by local musician DanSchwartz, and your chance to win abear-resistant Grizzly Cooler. A specialthanks to generous sponsorships fromthe following businesses who contrib-ute to the success of these events: Al-bert’s Organics, Upton’s Naturals, Co-op Partners Warehouse, Bimbo Bak-eries USA, and Triple Crown OrganicBBQ Sauce.
Mississippi Market Natural FoodsCo-op has been offering local, organicfood at a fair price to its St. Paulneighbors for 40 years. As a con-sumer-owned grocery store, Mississip-pi Market provides high-quality, fair-priced goods and services, and workstoward a sustainable local economyand global environment. MississippiMarket is a food co-op open to every-one that empowers our diverse com-munities to be healthy, make choicesthat help sustain our planet, and createa more just local economy. Learn moreat msmarket.coop.
Sen. Foung Hawj proud to joinGov. Walz as three important
bills are signed into law
Jackie WegleitnerOffice of Sen. Foung Hawj
Senator Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul)joined Gov. Tim Walz for the signingceremony of three important bills intolaw today. Sen. Hawj was a co-author ofthe “Lawns to Legumes” grant program,the second bill is Sen. Hawj’s HmongSGU Remembrance Day, and the third isa bill to allow homeowners to rejectracially restrictive covenants passed andsigned into law.
“The new Lawns to Legumes grantprogram is focused on planting resi-dential lawns with native vegetationand pollinator friendly plants to protecta diversity of pollinators,” Sen. Hawjsaid. “The goal is to distribute funds tolocal conservation partners later thisyear, who will distribute funds tolandowners to plant pollinator-friendlyplants. Ideally, this will lead to plantingprojects in the Spring or Summer of2020.”
As an author of the Hmong SGU Re-membrance Day, Sen. Hawj built coali-tions and advocacy to ensure May 14will be forever designated as a day to re-member the many Hmong soldiers whofought and lost their lives for American
freedoms.“I am so very proud to play a part in
honoring those who fought in support ofthe U.S. in the Secret War in Laos,” Sen.Hawj said. “May 14, 1975 was the lastday of an airlift evacuation of soldiersand their families from a covert head-quarters in Laos to a refugee camp inThailand. This was a humble request bymy elders, Hmong SGU veterans, toset May 14 as the day to remember theirsacrifice. The date also signifies the endof the Secret War and the beginning ofthe Hmong journey to be Americans. To-day, my bill to honor the legacy ofHmong SGU and families on May 14 be-comes Minnesota state law.”
Finally, legislation to allow homeown-ers who find racially restrictivecovenants on their property titles have anopportunity to place an affidavit on theirtitle rejecting the covenant, under a legis-lation Sen. Hawj worked with advocateson. “This is an important bill because itconfronts historical inequities in propertytitles,” Sen. Hawj said. “Even though itis illegal to discriminate against peoplewhen purchasing property, many titlescarry racially discriminating languageand now homeowners can reject thecovenant.”
“It is rewarding to see the culminationof hard work come together as I standwith Gov. Walz and the authors and co-authors of these three important bills asthey are signed into law today,” Sen.Hawj said.
July 2019 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 7
Some St. Paul historyfrom July days
Steve TrimbleForum Staff
Here are a few short pieces I have written for a pos-sible book with a St. Paul story for every day in thecity’s history. The first one happened in Dayton’sBluff. Let’s start there and end with the discovery ofhistoric bones.
July 4, 1892: This event became known as “the No-ble Riot.” Percival Noble, an Englishman of 258Bates, decided to fly the British flag on a pole in frontof his home on Independence Day. John DeCourcy,who lived nearby, ran to the house, pulled down theforeign banner, folded it, handed it to its owner andprotested in the name of the founding fathers.
As soon as DeCourcy left, Noble sent the UnionJack up again, this time cutting the rope. DeCourcyreturned and began climbing the pole. Noble attackedhim with a horsewhip. Another nearby resident ar-rived on the scene and punched Noble in the nose.This allowed DeCourcy to seize the whip and startflailing. Noble retreated into his house. Other neigh-bors arrived and tore pieces off the house's frontporch.
A squad of police on horseback arrived and a num-ber of people were taken to the Margaret Street sta-tion. People demanded that Noble be prosecuted fordefaming the Fourth of July, but there were noarrests or charges. Soon after, Noble packed up andtook his family to Winnipeg. One writer said “thuswas the last outpost of the British empire wiped out in
the United States." July 10, 1921: Twenty-one year old Phoebe Fairgrave
set a women’s world record for a high-altitude para-chute jump by dropping from 15,200 feet on this dayfrom a plane flown by her brother.
Born in Iowa, her family moved to St. Paul, where sheattended Madison School and graduated from MechanicArts High School in 1920. Shortly after graduating highschool, Fairgrave spent a few months at drama schooland worked briefly as a secretary. But she was boredand began hanging around airfields near her home. Thepilots were skeptical, but Phoebe learned to fly andused some of her inheritance to purchase a biplane afterher fourth flight.
Still in her teens, Fairgrave began wing walking,learned how to hang below a plane by her teeth, anddanced on the top of wings. One of her supporters wasVernon Omlie, a flyer who would become herhusband in 1922. She became well known by winningair races throughout the country. In 1925, the Omliesmoved to Tennessee and began offering flying lessonsand mechanical services. A year later, in 1927, Phoebebecame the first female to receive an airplane mechan-ics license and became the first licensed female trans-port pilot.
July 14, 1936: The thermometer read 108 degrees andset a record for the hottest day ever recorded in St. Paul.There were 24 heat related deaths that brought the nineday total to 240. With little home air conditioning at thetime, people relied on fans. An owner of an electric im-plement wholesaler reported that “we’ve sold every-thing in stock with a blade on it that would turn.”Newspapers listed names and addresses of victims withbits of information. One said 92 year-old Charles Hare,who had been in St. Paul since 1856, died in his home.In fact, most of the reports said that people had passedaway where they lived and a few expired in hotels. An
eight year old boy drowned “after being overcome byheat” while swimming in a lake.
Police emergency equipment and hospital ambu-lances were busy so a library truck was fit with astretcher. Many people were brought to hospitals anda few died there. Hospital treatment included water,sodium chloride, and cold cloths on the head, neck,and chest, and serious cases were put into ice packs.Fortunately on July15, a cool front with the first rainin a month ended the sweltering weather.
July 22, 1938: Construction workers in Saint Pauluncovered bones that stopped work for a time. Itturned out that on this day they had found the skeletonof a giant Pleistocene beaver, the largest rodent inNorth America. It measured eight feet long and wasestimated to have weighed 480 pounds. The cuttingteeth were up six inches long.
Whole ecosystems of plants and animals—and pre-historic human populations—followed the retreat ofthe glaciers from Minnesota more than 10,000 yearsago. With few predators or other dangers and with agood food supply, animals could evolve bigger andheavier and become what is described as “megafau-na.” Many of the animals we see today moved into thearea at the close of the Pleistocene and adapted to thewarmer temperatures of today. Still others such asmammoths, giant beavers, sloths, and horses thrivedhere, but for unknown reasons became extinct.
Rodents were larger in the Ice Age and this was es-pecially true of beavers. The largest rodent in NorthAmerica was the giant beaver. It measured eight feetlong and weighed 480 pounds. Modern beavers weigharound sixty-five pounds. The skeletal remains canstill be seen at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Steve Trimble can be reached at [email protected].
World Wide Holidays in July
Temperance BrennanForum Contributor
As an anthropologist, I understand how holidays canfacilitate a sense of shared culture among members ofa group. On a large scale, national holidays may dothe same thing for national unity. Our Fourth of Julycelebration is also known as Independence Day. Othercountries often call their major celebration Indepen-dence Day as well. Here are a few of them that takeplace in July.
July 3: Independence Day in Belarus, the date waschosen to honor those who fought to free the capital,Minsk, from Nazi German occupation during the Sec-ond World War. In a referendum the country voted to
celebrate Independence Day on July 3. July 5: Independence Day, this day commemorates
Algeria's independence from France in 1962. It is cel-ebrated with multi-cultural festivities organized in var-ious cities.
July 7: Independence Day, celebrates the time thatthe Solomon Islands left the United Kingdom in 1978.The day is a time of family reunions, sports events,dancing, and other cultural and patriotic events. Themain event is the parade in the capital city of Honiara.
July 9: Independence Day, denotes creation of anAutonomous Government of Southern Sudan. It be-came an independent state following a referendumthat passed with 98.83% of the vote.
July 10: Independence Day, this annual holidaymarks the independence of the the Bahamas from theUnited Kingdom in 1973. It occurred when indepen-dence documents were delivered by Prince Charles.
July 17: Independence Day or Slovakia Výročiedeklarácie o zvrchovanosti is the Anniversary of the1992 Declaration of the Independence of the SlovakRepublic that was formerly part of Czechoslovakia.
July 20: Colombia Independence Day is Colombia'snational day and marks the start of the movement thatled to independence from Spain in 1810. A vote inSeptember 1993, made the day the official nationalholiday in 1994.
July 26: Independence Day in Liberia, commemo-rates the 1847 declaration of independence by the U.S.colony in western Africa.
July 30: Independence Day Vanuatu, which is locat-ed in the South Pacific with a population of 276,000people. It was formerly was known as New Hebridesuntil its independence in 1980.
Temperance Brennan can be reached at [email protected].
Convergent VoicesHeritage stories told with visual voices
Krissy SchoenfelderLandmark Center
Artists draw inspiration from many experi-ences and influences, and Landmark Cen-ter’s summer exhibit highlights artists draw-ing inspiration from their family, culture,and traditional heritage. “ConvergentVoices,” the summer exhibition featuresthree distinct cultural/heritage backgroundsand showcase the work in concert with oneanother.
Judy Brooks, Director of Community Pro-grams at Landmark Center, remarked, “Westarted annual themes in 2017 with ‘commu-nity,’ last year’s theme was ‘Saint Paul,’ andthis year we’re entirely focused on artists’personal heritage and experience as the sub-ject matter.”
Exhibit features include Voice of the Moth-er by Kyong Juhn. In 2018, photographerKyong Juhn aimed to replicate her mother's370-mile journey, on foot, from North Koreato freedom in South Korea in the 1950s.Juhn documented in photographs her own370-mile journey on foot from Rochester,
Minnesota to Bemidji, Minnesota, capturingthe people, scenes and experiences she en-countered while walking.
Voices of a People by Palestinian Art Col-lective. The original work of four Palestinianartists, curated and brought to the U.S.though a collaboration with Bright Star ofBethlehem, with the mission to share thespirit and voices of the Palestinian people.
Voices of the Ancestors by Leah Yellow-bird - First Nations Algonquin-Metis andAnishinaabe. The exquisite beauty and intri-cacy of Yellowbird's traditional bead workand "paint beads" speaks of the artistry andsignificance of the traditions of her ances-tors.
“Convergent Voices” runs through July 28.For more information, visit landmarkcen-ter.org.
Landmark Center is a dynamic, historiccultural center and central gathering place indowntown Saint Paul. Landmark Center islocated at 75 West 5th Street, on Rice Parkand is accessible to those with impaired mo-bility. Parking is available on street and innearby Lawson, Science Museum and River-Centre Ramps. For more information call651.292.3225 or visit www.landmarkcen-ter.org.
Page 8 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum July 2019
Many thanks to our 2019 donors:
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Dayton's Bluff Community Services
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Pictured above is neighborhood favorite, mail carrier Tracy, and her diligent helper, Leo. Photo submitted by Melanie Buetow.
