THE SUMMIT HILL ASSOCIATION • DISTRICT 16 • BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER, ISSUE #147 • FEBRUARY 2017

Summit Hill AssociationDistrict 16 Planning Council860 St. Clair AvenueSaint Paul, MN 55105Telephone 651-222-1222email<info@summithillassociation.org>

Check our web site atwww.summithillassociation.org

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NEWS FROM THENEIGHBORHOOD

Every year, the Summit Hill Association reaches out to our community to give of their time, skills and resources to help us in meeting our goals. And every year, we are amazed by the number of people who step up to the plate, to lighten the load of doing the work. The Sum-mit Hill Association has only 2 main sources of funding. 50% of our budget comes from the City of St. Paul in the form of Community Engagement Grants, which are restricted funds that are limited to carrying out engagement work. The other 50% of our budget comes from the House Tour that is conducted every other year, to raise money for the next 2 years. These funds are more flexible and are usually used to carry out the work that has been identified as a priority and need by community members. It also enables us to increase staff capacity to support board and committee volunteers in achieving the goals of the year. Every October, we turn to you, members of our community to make a financial contribu-tion to enable us carry out all the work we have pledged to carry out, and to help us finish the year financially strong, and start off the new year in sound footing. The 2016 year was no exception. Being an even year, we carried out the Biennial House Tour, and sent out our Annual Solicitation. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our Summit Hill donors in 2016. Once again, Summit Hill individuals and businesses answered the call to support their neighborhood. Our goal in 2016 was to raise $5,000 from the community to support and sustain programs and activities that bolster the community-building work of the Summit Hill Association. The goal was not only achieved, it was surpassed with a final total $7,901.00!

As always, your donations support the work and programming of the Summit Hill Associa-tion - your neighborhood citizen participation organization. If you have not had a chance to contribute to the 2016 Campaign, it’s never too early to become a donor in 2017. You can still send a check made out to“SHA” to 860 St. Clair Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105. You can even donate online at our website: www.summithillassociation.org by clicking on the “DONATE” button. Your donation is fully tax deductible.

Thank You SHA Annual Donors!WhAT We AChIeveD TOgeTher IN 2016

Thank you for partnering with us in 2016. Here are some high-lights of what we were able to accomplish together.

Pedestrian Safety & Traffic Calming• The committee organized and

implemented the Annual Pe-destrian Safety Awareness Week on August 1st to 7th in 2016. Once again, the event incor-porated more partners than it did in 2015. Around 5 District Councils were involved in this year’s events, along with the Grand Avenue Business Association and the St. Paul Police Department. Also, new this year, was the growth of the event to a year round effort to ensure that pedestrian safety was not just promoted during one week in August, but was an issue that was addressed year round in the city of St. Paul. This was done through collaboration with the St. Paul Police Department, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and St. Paul Smart Trips. The com-mittee joined other community groups in holding undercover stings with the St. Paul Police Department at various normally unsafe intersections in city neighborhoods. This resulted in a number of tickets and citations to violating motorists, but also lots of great education and information shared with both pedestrians and motorists alike on the traffic laws that protect pedestrians, but also how to keep everyone safe on the streets.

(Thank You SHA Donors ontinued on p.2)

St. Paul District Councils Honor City ResidentsThe District Council system in St. Paul marked their 40th anniversary in 2016. This is a significant milestone in community and government partnership. The work of the District Councils would not be possible without the many resident and volunteer participants who contribute their numerous talents and resources to support the work of the councils. Every year, the 17-member District Council system, gathers to celebrate individual, institutional or organizations nominated by each council for going above and beyond to make the city of St. Paul a more thriving community. These volun-teers who are a critical component to the improvement of the city, were nominated and selected by their peers for their signifi-cant contributions. The 17-member District

Council system is a national model for citizen participation in civic affairs.

All the St. Paul Citizen Participation Plan-ning District Councils once again collab-oratively organized this year’s annual event, including Summit Hill Association. to host the Neighborhood Honor Roll Awards celebration. This year, SHA once again sub-mitted the names of three of our volunteers for recognition.

The event was held on January 25, 2017 at the University of St. Thomas’ Anderson Students’ Center. At the time of going to press (in mid-January), over 250 people were expected to turn out for the event. The event usually attracts people from all walks

of life throughout the city. It is usually a great opportunity for volunteers across the city to get to know each other across the Dis-trict Councils. The Davu Seru Jazz Trio was once again tapped to provide their well-liked background jazz rhythm during the social portion of the program. As always, a gener-ous and delicious spread of hors d’oeuvres and refreshments for attendees was planned for the menu.

Mayor Chris Coleman was slated to open the event acknowledging the commitment and hard work for which the assembled volunteers are being recognized. Awards are usually presented to the over 45 honorees from throughout the city - noting each per-son’s particular contribution to the health and vitality of their community and the

city. Those honored will have their names included in the Neighborhood Wall of Fame plaques that are hang up at City Hall. As in previous years, the Mississippi Market once again sponsored this year’s honorees’ plaque.

This year, SHA selected six Summit Hill residents to be honored for their years of commitment to community. Those selected were: Roz Goldberg, Maggie O’Reilly and the youth group comprising of Francesco Marchio, Matteo Marchio, Tor Cox and Rory King. We truly believe these individu-als have made a tremendous difference in sustaining and improving the quality of life in the Summit Hill Neighborhood and beyond.

2 Check out the ShA web site for current info: www.summithillassociation.org

SHA News and

Serving the Summit Hill Neighborhood since 1947

982 Grand AveSaint Paul, MN 55105

651-228-1316

LloydsAutomotive.net

2016-17 SHA BoardBridget Alan Ales, Linwood AveLori Brostrom, Summit AvePerry de Stefano, St Clair AveAndrew Gesell, Bank CherokeeMichael Hartoonian, Summit AveNatalie Hopfield , Fairmount AveHayden Howland, Victoria StGary Huffman, GABAAmanda Karls, Lincoln AveDavid Kratz, Goodrich AveSonja Mason, St Albans StPat McMorrow, Fairmount AveRob Morse, Osceola AveShannon O’Toole, Avon StMark Peschel, Summit AvePeter Rhoades, Milton StAndy Rorvig, Lincoln AveSusan Schultze, Dunlap StPhilip Wahlberg, Fairmount AveCathie Wilson, Lexington Pkwy

Stop by and say “Hi”! Your One-Stop Shop for

neighborhood info and referral; friendly ShA staff are here to help!

Nelima Sitati, SHA

ExecutiveDirector

Theresa Nix, Community Organizer/

Crime Prevention Coordinator

How to contact the Summit Hill Association

Please note, our email addresses have changed effective immediately. General SHA office via email:

info@summithillassociation.orgNelima Sitati -

Nelima@summithillassociation.orgTheresa Nix -

Theresa@summithillassociation.orgThe phone number remains the same at

651-222-1222.

Need a Blue Bin?Blue recycling bins have been a symbol of St. Paul’s recycling pro-gram for more than 15 years.

The City of St. Paul provides blue bins for alley recycling at no charge to St. Paul residents.

Thank You, SHA Donors!Continued from p.1

• Formed a working committee with the Grand Avenue Busi-ness Association and the Mac Groveland Community Council to among other things address the flow of traffic along Grand Avenue. The committee will also continue working alongside the city as they plan for the upcoming infrastructural improvements on Grand Avenue.

• Discussed and addressed residents’ concerns regarding pedestrian safety in various spots in the neighborhood.

Crime Prevention & Connections• Promoted new Block and Building Clubs and recruited new

Leaders for community building and crime prevention; monthly SHA Staff crime reports and alerts to interested residents. SHA currently has about 60% of the neighborhood blocks organized.

Environment Awareness & Action• The Garden Council was hard at work this year, ensuring that

community members had an opportunity to garden once again in 2016. They also continued to make physical improvements in the garden area. The tool shed is up, and it has made it easier for gardeners to store and access their gardening tools. They were also successful in replacing the fence around the garden plots. The Council also successfully applied for another STAR Grant which will go towards adding a bench in the garden area. This will provide a space for community members to gather and enjoy the garden.

• The Environment Committee promoted neighborhood envi-

ronmental awareness and participation through curbside recycling, promoting the now citywide Clean Up events, and maintenance of recycling bins on Grand Avenue.

• The Committee also recruited volunteers who went to work in rehabilitating the Rain Garden in preparation of replant-ing it in 2017.

Community Events• The Development Committee organized and implemented 2

successful Progressive Supper events in 2016. These were well attended and gave residents and community members an op-portunity to spend an evening together getting to know one another, and sharing a meal.

• The committee also organized a successful Spring Garage Sale. Residents of Summit Hill took advantage of this oppor-tunity to upcycle what they no longer needed for some cash. The event also continued to draw shoppers from all over the metro area, which gives us an opportunity to showcase our wonderful neighborhood.

Communication & Outreach• The committee was once again hard at work keeping you

informed on all the goings on. They did this by utilizing various multi-media outlets, such as the website, E-Newsletter SHA’s Facebook account and the Bi-Monthly Newsletter that is delivered to every address in the neighborhood. The committee plays an important role in keeping the neighbor-hood residents and Grand Avenue businesses with up-to-date information & notifications on important events, meetings and City notices. This ensures that we as a community stay engaged and informed throughout the year.

Zoning & Land Use• The Zoning and Land Use Committee stayed quite busy this

year. They held community meetings to get community input and deliberate on various variance application issues in the neighborhood.

• The committee also continued to strongly advocate for the Summit Hill community at a city level for community input in matters of historic preservation, as well as in making deci-sions on demolitions of historic property.

SustainersThomas & Michelle Bradley, Sharon & Bill Clapp III, William & Patricia Litchy, Robert & Natalia Morse, Lee & Carole Schram and John & Marcy Wengler.

BenefactorsBridget Allan-Ales & Prof. Pete Federer, Stephen & Margaret Gadient, James & Teddy Gesell, Mary Kay Hicks, Richard Huhn, Art & Martha Kaemmer, Helen & Bob Mairs, William Moyers & Nell Hurley, Leila Poullada, Andrew Rorvig, Estelle Sell and Anne Simpson.

SponsorsRoger & Dorothy Anderson, Peter & El-len Brown, Helen & John Buche, Linda Camp, Ariel Dickerman, Mary Kay

Sponsors, continued& Jack Dolan, Marie Dtoseth, Tom & Suzanne Ducker, Francil & Noreen Far-rell, Jim & Jane Fennell, Sarah & Don Flanagan, Joe & Laura Gagnon, Jean Gendron, Jim & Jane Geppert, Scott & Candace Gislason, Dorothea Gumbrill, Daniel Halvorsen, Michael Hartoonian, Lynn Indihar & Scott Spencer, James & Barbara Joers, Carol Kayser, Gwen & Ir-ving Lerner, Perrin Lilly, Nancy & Frank Martin, Sonja Mason, Judith Miller, David Moore, John & Christine Otte-son, Peter Rhoades, Inell Rosario & Luis Rosario Jr., Stephen Rose, David Schultz, Susan Schultze, Joseph Senden, Charles & Theresa Stander, Kay Willshire & Michael Caroll and Leonard Wilson.

DonorsAnonymous, Richard & Catherine Black, Jon & Ann Cieslak, Owen & Marcella Connolly, Edward & Monica Cook, Jeanne & David Cornish, Susan Diekrager, William & Leveda Faulkner, Philip Feilmeyer, Norma Finnegan, Valerie Heise Thompson, Thomas & Anna Kieselbach, Mary Louise Klas, Molly Kleven, Dave & Kathy McManus, Pat McMorrow, William & Rita Messing, Kate Pearce, Shirley Pearl, Gayle Petty, Richard & Dee Plagens, Stephen & Ann Russell, Amy Samelia, Frank Schlick, Stanley Shepard, David F. Smith & Juliet Branca, Larry Soderholm, Evon Spangler & Perry DeStefano, Ralph & Loanne Thrane, Wally & Rosie Wescott and Dede Wolfson.

2016 DONATIONS

2017 SHACALENDAR

MeeTINgS & eveNTSMeetings are held in the Linwood Com-munity Center, 860 St. Clair Avenue unless noted otherwise. Dates and time may change. Call SHA at 222-1222 to confirm.•BoardofDirectors-secondThurs,7p.m.•ExecutiveCommittee-lastThurs,7p.m.•Communications/OutreachCommittee - 3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m.•PedestrianSafety/TrafficCalming Committee - 4th Tuesday, 7 p.m.For the following Committees, please call for meetingtime/location:•EnvironmentCommittee–asneeded•DevelopmentCommittee–asneeded•ZoningandLandUseCommittee–as needed.

3Check out the ShA web site for current info: www.summithillassociation.org

Next Newsletter Deadline: February 28, 2017

Alley Recycling: Every Tuesday, recycling must be out by 7 a.m.

Neighborhood Events

The Summit is prepared by Nelima Sitati, Editor; Kay Willshire, Ad Coordinator; Becky Siekmeier,

Layout Editor; and contributing writers.

FEBRUARY1 Summit Newsletter Arrives9 MonthlyNeighborhoodMtg–Board20 PedestrianSafety/TrafficCalming Committee21 Communications & Outreach Committee23 Executive Committee28 Summit Newsletter Deadline

MARCH9MonthlyNeighborhoodMeeting– Board Meeting20PedestrianSafety/TrafficCalming Committee21 Communications & Outreach Committee30 Executive Committee

APRIL13 Monthly Neighborhood Meeting - Board Meeting17 PedestrianSafety/TrafficCalming Committee18 Communications & Outreach Committee27 Executive Committee

Get Involved with SHAWhen you volunteer for a worthy com-munity effort, you are making an invest-ment both in yourself and your commu-nity. Consider volunteering today, for the joy of personal satisfaction. The Summit Hill Association would be delighted to help you find a volunteer activity that suits you. Give us a call at 651-222-1222.

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Do not miss out! Here are some important events in 2017 to put on your calendar and start planning around.

Summit Hill Neighborhood Spring Garage Sale The Summit Hill Association will once again sponsor a spring neighborhood garage sale on this Spring. Selling used items helps you clean out your attic, basement or garage and if you can’t sell it or don’t want to keep it, bring it to the Neighborhood Cleanup Day later in the month. For a $15 fee, participating households will receive copies of the Sale Site Listings flyer prior to the sale and two bright yellow “Summit Hill Garage Sale” posters. SHA advertises the sale in city-wide and local newspapers, on the SHA website and provide additional flyers for the public to pick up at the SHA office before the sale. Participating residents coordinate and staff their own garage sales and retain all proceeds. Consider having your own sale or join together with a neighbor.

2017 Spring Progressive SupperEvery year, the Summit Hill Association gives you neighbors, old and new a chance to connect with others in the neighborhood around a meal. The Annual Progressive Sup-pers, put together by the Development Com-mittee, are a popular way to meet other resi-

Upcoming SHA Events: More Details in the April issue

dents in the neighborhood. Breaking down the meals so that each host is responsible for only one course, makes it less work, and also gives every participant an opportunity to be a guest and a host. If you are not able to host for any reason, you are still welcome to be a guest at the event. Residents who have participated in past events have found it to be a fun event to get newly acquainted and also reacquainted with their neighbors.

May 2017 Annual Citywide Joint-Cleanup EventsThe annual Summit Hill Neighborhood Cleanup will be held in May. Any resident in St. Paul can drop off materials at the May event. Please look for additional informa-tion in the April issue of The Summit or Facebook, regarding date, site location, which items can be disposed of or recycled at the Cleanup and fees charged.

Residents from District 16 are encouraged to clean out their garages, basements and attics and bring unwanted items for dis-posal and recycling to the cleanup site. The cleanup is a perfect opportunity to organize your block for an alley, boulevard, or park cleanup. If you can help, please call the SHA office at 222-1222 to sign up for a few hours of work or for further information.

I wanted to take this chance to thank the many neighbors, business and visitors that make our Summit Hill neighborhood such a great place. In addition to our unique mix of single and multifamily residential and small-scale commercial uses that make Summit Hill one of the most visited areas of St. Paul, we also have a variety of oppor-tunities for social activities and interaction, “memorable character” due to the national and local historic designations that are important contributors to St. Paul’s heritage, and numerous examples of interesting design and architectural features. These are all attributes identified as necessary for great neighborhoods by the American Planning Association. They are also things that we at the Summit Hill Association (SHA) are working to preserve and highlight through our zoning and land use work and commu-nity outreach efforts. As your local district planning council we are also working to enhance neighborhood crime prevention, promote environmental sustainability, pedes-trian safety and traffic calming.

While working toward those goals, we have we have noticed a trend at City Hall toward

A Word from the SHA Presidentincreased development and density. In many instances density can be beneficial for creat-ing critical population centers necessary to support mass transit and the type of vibrant community amenities we already enjoy in Summit Hill. However, it has been, and will likely continue to be a challenge for us to demonstrate that density for density’s sake can be a detriment to our neighborhood’s character. Moreover, according to City data, Summit Hill is already one of the densest areas in the City (and almost twice as dense as Portland, Oregon is, on average, as a point of comparison). That is due in large part to the fact that only about a third of neighborhood residents live in single-family detached homes.

We have also noticed that the financial con-tributions our neighborhood makes to the city, in terms of sales tax, tourism revenue and property tax, can often be overlooked at City Hall. This became especially evident when Mayor Coleman proposed parking meters on Grand Avenue in 2015. This is particularly troubling when you consider that our neighborhood contributes the most property tax per residence, but receives the

least amount of capital improvement spend-ing per capita in the entire city.

As the new President of SHA, please know that we are committed to working with Council Member Rebecca Noecker and other policy makers to ensure our needs for improvement projects are considered and that City staff spends time understand-ing the proper balance of neighborhood preservation and thoughtful development. We are here to advocate for Summit Hill, but we can do that even more effectively with your help. That is why, in addition to thanking you all for being great neighbors, I also want to invite you to join in helping us keep our neighborhood a thriving commu-nity. Please consider offering your time as a volunteer or contributing financial sup-port. We are a board of only 21 volunteer members and professional staff of just two. I hope you will take me up on this offer and get involved. Please keep informed by fol-lowing our website, our Facebook page, and by getting on our mailing list.

Andy RorvigBoard Chair, Summit Hill Association

The SHA Board of Directors tries to make it as easy as possible for you to share your concerns, questions (even compliments will be taken) during the Open Forum period at each monthly neighborhood meeting. The Forum is open for the first 10 minutes of each meeting which is held at the Linwood Community Center Meet-ing Room.

If you have community concerns or questions that you would like to bring to the SHA Board of Directors’ attention (…these folks are simply your neighbors volunteering time for the good of Sum-mit Hill!) we invite you to attend one of the monthly neighborhood meetings that are held on the second Thursday of the month.

Monthly Open Forum

Are You Getting a Duplicate Copy of “The Summit” Newsletter?

If you are getting more than one opy, please contact us at info@summithillassociation.org or by phone at 651-222-1222. Let us know which mailing address designations are extra. Thanks!

4 Check out the ShA web site for current info: www.summithillassociation.org

Happenings in

The SHA Website: A Good

Source for Neighborhood

InformationEstablished in June 2004, the Sum-mit Hill Association Web site at www.summithillassociation.org has grown in its ability to keep you up to date on neighborhood and city resources, Summit Hill events and opportunities for you to participate in the health and vitality of your community. Check us out and bookmark the address for future reference!

In addition, we encourage resi-dents to subscribe to the Electronic News List on the home page that provides up-to-date announce-ments on late-breaking events, public meetings and issues.

Among other things, the SHA web site has links and resource infor-mation about crime prevention, senior services, recycling, neigh-borhood improvement projects, a calendar of events and The Summit newsletter. Links connect you to the City of St. Paul, the Grand Avenue Business Association and other sites of interest to Summit Hill residents.

If you have suggestions about how we can improve the web site or about any other neighborhood concerns, go to the “Contact SHA” link on the home page and give us your thoughts!

www.summithillassociation.org

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The Summit Hill Association is off to a great start this year. One of the top priori-ties of the Association this year, is updating the Neighborhood Plan. At least every 10 years, neighborhoods are expected to submit a new plan to the city for adoption. Creat-ing a Neighborhood Plan is a process that is led by District Councils in coordination with City staff and the Planning Commis-sion. According to the City of St. Paul, the purpose of the plan is to enable the city to “achieve city and neighborhood goals through plans that have shared objectives and mutually supportive recommenda-tions.” Once completed, the plan is usually adopted as addenda to the Saint Paul Com-prehensive Plan.

Generally, there are two types of plans that

Summit Hill Association to Work on Updating Neighborhood Plan

District Councils can engage in creating; District Plans, for the whole district or Small Area Plans for a smaller geographic portionofSaintPaul–aneighborhood,plan-ning district, special district, or study area.

The City of St. Paul has outlined the pur-pose of a District Plan as follows:1. Provide a 10-year vision, policy priorities and strategies to guide growth, investment, and development in the district2. Provide a process for community engage-ment to discuss and set priorities for the future of an area, consistent with and assist-ing to implement the Saint Paul Comp Plan at the neighborhood level3. Incorporate into the district plan key strategies or policies from existing, older small area plan(s) within the district, if the

small area plan(s) is no longer needed as a standalone document, and then decertify the old small area plan(s)

The Summit Hill Association is currently recruiting interested community members to participate in the Neighborhood Planning Committee. The Committee will be charged with coming up guiding the process that the Summit Hill community will engage in updating our current plan.

If you are interested, in participating in this committee, or would like to know more about it, please contact us at the Summit Hill Association office at 651-222-1222 or email at info@summithillassociation.org.

When St. Paul attorneys Evon Spangler and Rachel Schromen experienced a rare and unanticipated chunk of time to write a non-profit business plan—without distraction or interruption—they transformed a long-held vision into a legal-advocacy nonprofit like no other.

Evon, a Summit Hill resident and partner in the practice Spangler and de Stefano, PLLP, and Rachel, a Ramsey Hill resident and managing attorney at Schromen Law, LLC, met while doing pro bono legal work at a clinic, for a program helping women safely exit abusive relationships and situa-tions. But on the evening they were both volunteering, the scheduled clients did not show. That was not the first time that sched-uled clients had not shown at the clinic, and this fact played a major and vital role in the structuring of their mission.

As the two lawyers have been involved throughout their lives, in different capaci-ties, in helping victims and survivors exit violent environments, they knew the need was there. But as they spent time talking

Evon Spangler, left, and Rachel Schromen, co-founded Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy Center, PSC in 2016, to provide pro bono legal represen-tation to help victims and survivors of domestic abuse in shelters safely exit abusive relationships and situations.

Neighborhood Attorneys Launch Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy

Center as a True LifeSaverBy Patricia McMorrow

about the range of difficulties and dangers faced by women and families in crisis, Rachel and Evon came to believe that their services were being offered in the wrong setting. Literally.

While legal advocacy can play a vital and critical role in stopping the cycle of abuse, making and keeping appointments that

require travel can be challenging for some women who may need support the most. So in January 2016, Evon and Rachel launched the Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy Center, PSC(http://domesticabuselegaladvocacy-center.org/),a501(c)(3)nonprofitorganiza-tion. The organization exists outside of their private practices.(Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy cont. on p.7)

5Check out the ShA web site for current info: www.summithillassociation.org

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Improving St. Paul’s InfrastructureA conversation with John Marshall, Xcel Energy

The backbone of St. Paul’s gas system has been strengthened and its delivery made more reliable with the completion this fall of Xcel Energy’s East Metro Gas Pipeline Project.

Over the past four years, the company has re-placed about 11 ½ miles of gas transmission line that runs straight through the heart of St. Paul and serves around 400,000 custom-ers. The original compression-coupled lines were installed in the 1940s and 1950s and were replaced with stronger welded steel to increase integrity, remote valves to improve system reliability and safety, and the capabil-ity to utilize in-line inspection tools prevent-ing the need for future excavations.

The replacement project represents a $69 million investment and was executed be-tweenMay–Octoberoverafour-yearperiodstarting in 2013 to avoid gas interruptions during the winter heating season.

The construction logistics were often chal-lenging given weather, topography, and ne-gotiating road closures and re-routes within a dense urban core and busy community. It also required boring horizontally drilled holes to run pipe under I35E near Scheffer Avenue, railroad tracks near Park Street and beneath I94 near St. Albans Street.

Speaking of her experience, resident Sonja

Mason who lives in the construction area indicates, “our street was torn up for much of the summer. Our water lines were above ground in those temporary plastic pipes that made the cold tap water lukewarm. We had nowhere to park, which is a pretty big deal because our block is all condos and people rely on street parking. It was a hassle, for sure, but it was also cool to watch. My kids loved going to inspect the construc-tion. Most evenings, after dinner we’d grab popsicles and walk down St Albans, looking at the machines and the progress.”

Recognizing the impacts to many diverse communities, Xcel Energy conducted exten-sive outreach both in advance and thorough the project producing informational materi-als in Hmong, Karen, Spanish, and Somali and partnered closely with the City of St. Paul and multiple District Councils. Some additional project successes include:• Partnered with the Summit Hill Associa-

tion to mitigate impacts to the neighbor-hood during construction including the preservation of an historic section of granite curb along St. Albans.

• Collaborated with St. Paul Regional Water Services on joint construction to drive cost savings, minimize neighbor-hood disruptions, and prevent a 1.8 mile water main excavation in 2018.

• Inventoried more than 200 trees along the route in advance of the project

to protect the urban forest and retain Saint Paul’s beautiful tree-lined canopy.

• Worked with the local police department and fire department to ensure emergency vehicle access at all times.

This intentional effort to do extensive outreach paid off. As Ms. Mason continues to offer of her experience, “Sometimes the workers were still out—which happened a fair amount as they often worked long days. The workers were friendly and seemed to enjoy the kids coming out to watch them. A couple of times when they were using loud equipment, a worker brought over ear muffs for the kids to wear while we watched.”

Residents became very familiar with lead people on the project from Xcel and Q Contracting (the lead subcontractor on the project). Other issues that SHA worked to address in 2015 with then Council Member Thune’s office before the start of the project in the neighborhood, were the preserva-tion of the historic sandstone curbs and preventing damage to masonry buildings on the block that are over 100 years old. The contractors put neighbors in contact with a third party to monitor the vibrations, and then switched to a smaller tamping machine when the vibrations exceeded recommended levels. They also did a good job of keeping the job site very clean.

After breaking ground four years ago, the Summit Hill Community Garden continues to look forward to growth in the year ahead.

Latest AdditionsWith a new grant from the City of Saint Paul, the garden will soon add public benches and a large sign to crown the en-trance. The garden was previously awarded over $13,000 in STAR grant funds to install the fence and tool shed which were added in 2014. Using resources generated by plot fees, communal strawberry, asparagus and raspberry patches were the newest additions this past year.

Sprouting Volunteers The garden is a catalyst for volunteer engage-

ment. Since it’s inception in 2011 and groundbreaking in 2013, the garden has attracted hundreds of volunteers, some for just a day and others for year after year. At least three members of the garden have been honored by the City of St. Paul Neighbor-hood Honor Roll Awards which recog-nizes outstanding volunteers in the district councils. The garden is an opportunity for neighbors of all generations to work side by side. This past summer, a local class of preschoolers tended a plot, as did women from the local domestic abuse shelter. The “Shared Garden” space is another place where people use their time communally, literally working together for maximum yield and sharing a portion of the harvest with local food shelves.

Growing Demand It’s no secret that nationwide demand for community garden access is growing and St. Paul is no exception. Community gardens offer incredible benefits not only to the indi-vidual plot keepers but to the neighborhood as well. Activity and beautification of vacant green space brings vitality, connectivity and improves safety. SHCG maintains a waiting list each year as interest grows.

Registration for individual plots opens on February 1st, each year. The application is available on the Summit Hill Association website and must be submitted by March 1st. Each year there is about 25% turnover and in the first four years, 100% of applica-tions submitted by the March 1st deadline

have been offered a garden plot.

Help us Grow All are welcome to be involved with the garden. Walk by the space to smell flowers and meet the busy pollinators. Spend an hour pulling weeds or picking produce at an open work day where you’ll also get to know others (open work days are held throughout the spring, summer and fall). Maybe you have a unique skill, a handy tool or know of a group looking for a volunteer activity? (We are especially happy for help from folks with trucks or trailers!) Or best of all, apply for a plot and really get your hands dirty. We would be thrilled to welcome everyone in growing with us.

Contact us at: summithillcg@gmail.com

6 Check out the ShA web site for current info: www.summithillassociation.org

BUILDING HOURS:Monday 7a.m.–9p.m.Tuesday 6a.m.–9p.m.Wednesday 7a.m.–9p.m.Thursday 6a.m.–9p.m.Friday 7a.m.–6p.m.Saturday 9a.m.–1p.m.Call Linwood Recreation Center at 651-298-5660 for specific class information.

Zumba ClassesInstructor: Jackie Munoz

MARTIAL ARTS: SOO BAHK DOInstructor: Mike Kelly, Certified Master Instructor For more information call Mike Kelly at 651-214-1485 or email: mike@kellyrenewals.com. Please contact Linwood at 651-298-5660 to register. For ages 6 to adults this is a tradi-tional martial art emphasizing discipline, concentration self-confidence, personal development, self-defense, conditioning and more. Learn from and internationally ranked certified master instructor with 20+ years of experience. Family discounts are available..

Introductory Classes for New Students (includes uniform)-Saturdays from 9-9:45 a.m. Fee: $75 for 2 months. Sessions: Ongoing for ages 6+

Ongoing Classes for returning Stu-dents-Tue. 4:30-5:30 p.m.Sat. 9:45-10:45 a.m.Fee:$45/monthor$105/3monthsSessions: Ongoing Ages 6+

ADULT/SENIOR FITNESS & WELLNESS CLASSES AT LINWOODOur certified instructors at Linwood offer a variety of fitness and wellness classes to accommodate all levels of participants in funatmosphere.Allclassesare$5/session.Discounted punch cards are available for purchase. A 20 Fitness Punch Card is $80, and a 12 Fitness Punch Card is $54. Punch cards do not expire and may be used for any Linwood aerobics class. Punch cards may notbeusedfortheExercise/Weightroom.

Early Bird Fitness Workout: Day Spring with the FittestInstructor: Cliff SwyninganTuesday/Thursday 6:15a.m.

Pilates Mind/Body/StrengthInstructor: Cliff Swynigan

Tuesday/Thursday 6:15p.m.

Complete Fitness ChallengeInstructor: Colleen TusaTuesday 10:30 a.m.Friday 9:30 a.m. Saturday 9:00 am.

Forever FitInstructor: Teresa DavenportMonday 9:15 a.m.

55 Plus WorkoutInstructor: Teresa DavenportTuesday/Thursday 9:15a.m.

Yoga: Earth MoonInstructor: Teresa DavenportWednesday 9:15 a.m. Wednesday 7:45 p.m. Friday 12:00 p.m.FITNESS/WEIGHT ROOMLinwood Rec. Center 651-298-5660

This room consists of 7 nautilus Cybex machines, two treadmills, two stair climbers, and two exercise bicycles plus one elliptical machine for cardiovascular training. Locker rooms are available for members. To use the equipment, you may pay daily fee of $3 or purchaseaTwelvemonth/Annualmember-ship.

Memberships:Daily $3.00Single Adult $30.00Non–StPaulResidents $60.00

Volunteer CoachesSaint Paul Parks and Recreation offers a variety of coaching opportunities in youth athletics. As a volunteer coach you can help develop young athletes, provide leadership, promote good sportsmanship and be a positive role model. If you have experience or are willing to learn coaching fundamen-tals, we can give you the necessary skills and tools. All coaches will be trained through Saint Paul’s coaching certification program. All coaches are required to consent to a background check. The average time com-mitment is 2-3 hours per week for approxi-mately 8 weeks. Please contact Linwood for more info! Linwood staff: Philip McGraw (Community Recreation Special-ist), Debbie Fulford, Dusty Horton, and Bryan Rasmussen. Preschool instructors: Bobbi Solberg and Susanna Maye Hartogh

Linwood Rec Center News

860 St. Clair Ave. • (651) 298-5660

Things to do on the ‘Hill

A new feature on the Saint Paul Police Department Crime reports shows a list of proactive and positive efforts police are tak-ing to keep the neighborhood safe. Crime reports from the St. Paul Police department help SHA block club leaders to track timely information regarding crime instances in the neighborhood. According to Brian Balfanz of the Saint Paul Police Department’s Re-search and Analysis Unit, this is “in keeping with Chief Axtell’s expectation of trusted service with respect,” the department is now including Proactive Police Visits and Com-munity Engagement Events in the weekly District Council crime incident report.

Proactive Police Visits are officer initiated opportunities to engage the community. Community Engagement Events are out-reach opportunities developed through the Saint Paul Police Department Community Engagement Unit.

This action on the police department’s part has already been noticed by the community. As one Summit Hill resident has informed us, “I value getting any kind of informa-tion or data! … I’m just curious about more details of “proactive police visits.” I assume

it’s also about more crime prevention tips? I think this “change” of proactive police visits could only help everyone if it’s what I’m assuming it is. Thanks for keeping me informed!”

According to Pam McCreary, Saint Paul Police Department’s Crime Prevention Coordinator, “proactive visits can be any-where/anyone.Itsimplymeansthatofficersstoptochat/connectwithbusinessesand/or residents. If it is at a residence it is usu-ally following up from a previous police call such as a domestic call.” During such a visit, community members can expect officers to talk with the contact person(s) about the reason for the visit and yes, when appro-priate they will likely discuss prevention measures. Please know that proactive visits are not a new concept but rather a newly added portion to the weekly police reports. I would expect this is being done in part to let the community know of how often officers do make proactive stops.

To subscribe to the Crime Prevention email list visit www.summithillassociation.org to-day! Remember, your questions matter.

New Data Available Regarding Police/

Community Interactions

Service for the Feast of the PresentationThursday, February 2 at 7:00pmEveryone is invited to join us for this service of Sung Compline to celebrate Candlemas and the Feast of the Presenta-tion, with special music by the Mirandola Ensemble. Incense will be used.

Artaria Chamber Music School ConcertFriday, February 3 at 7:00 pmStudents of Artaria Chamber Music School, in residence at St. John’s, are pleased to perform their Fall Concert at St. John’s at 7:00 pm on February 3. The free concert features will be followed by a fes-tive reception. (St. John’s Events cont. on p.7)

Upcoming Events at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church

60 Kent St., St. Paul

7Check out the ShA web site for current info: www.summithillassociation.org

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After four 2016 Stop for Me events were completed in the Summit Hill Neighbor-hood, the Pedestrian Safety Committee is focusing on crash data from 2016 to develop their 2017 workplan. According to the City of Saint Paul Pedes-trian and bike Crash Data for 2016, there were 180 pedestrian crashes resulting in 149 injuries and 4 fatalities. In addition, there were 125 bicyclist crashes resulting in 86 injuries. Approximately 139 of these incidents happened in the Western District and approximately 13 of these crashes were in the Summit Hill Neighborhood. Our vision is to see zero deaths in the Sum-mit Hill Neighborhood and beyond. This is a bold desire, but it is possible. In order to actively address the statistics mentioned above, a change in our behavior is needed. This includes pedestrians, motorists and cyclists. In this article, we will focus on what pedestrians can do to BE SEEN, so that motorists will be more likely to STOP FOR YOU. Life and Money Saving Tips:• We want to encourage you to

CHOOSE to be visible.• Reflective clothing makes you easy to

spot in the dark during your physical activity.Light/reflectivejackets,shirts,and pants are important.

• Several shops carry quality reflective gear for sports. If you decide to make your own, just remember that it’s important that the clothing you wear can be seen from the front, back and both sides.

InVESTing in your safety:• Make a list of people and pets in your

life you want to protect and assign a budget amount to the project. Remem-ber to include kids, pets and older family members.

There are quality reflective pieces for the entire family at stores like L.L. Bean that

have a great replacement policy if the piece is ever damaged.

However, outfitting your whole crew can be expensive. Here are 3 quick and inexpensive options for putting together a safe outfit: • Purchase simple safety gear. It can

be inexpensive and light weight. For example, a simple reflective VEST will cost about $8.00 at Menards.

• Use iron-on reflective tape to add vis-ibility to your existing clothing in the dark. You can find this online for under $5.00 per roll. No sewing required.

• Free: repurpose your bike reflectors and battery operated lights as ankle and wrists bands. They move up and down as you’re biking or running, and can be seen from several feet away.

A note from Committee Chair, Peter Rhoades:“As a seasoned motorcyclist, I’ve always taken it upon myself to be visible. I put reflective tape on my bike and gear. I don’t assumepeoplewillseeme–Itakeituponmyself to be as visible as I can. We want to move from blaming each other to a focus on moving these statistics toward zero deaths.” An Innovation - 360 degree communication can save lives: Two committee members have started FLASHING their HAZARD LIGHTS at cross-walks to make their intent to stop for pedestrians clear. The goal of this action is to accomplish 3 things: • Signal to pedestrians that they have

been seen.• Signal to oncoming traffic that a stop is

being made for a pedestrian or cyclist.• Signal to give information to cars

behind them that they have stopped for a pedestrian or cyclist.

In future committee meetings, we will be discussing this topic. Join us on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. in the Linwood Recreation Center at 860 St. Clair Avenue. See you there!*Statistics from www.stpaul.gov

Pedestrian Safety Update

Rather than have clients travel to an office, monthly legal-advice-only clinics are held on-site at the Twin Cities area shelters, and sev-eral clinics each year are held at the Greater Minnesota location. To the best of their knowledge, the lawyers believe the center is the only onsite model in the United States. Hoping to expand its reach over time, the center currently collaborates with Women’s Advocates in St. Paul, and Headwaters Inter-vention Center in Park Rapids.

Support provided by the center’s roster of 19 active volunteer attorneys, includ-ing Rachel and Evon, typically focuses on Orders for Protection (OFPs), Harassment Restraining Orders (HROs), Divorce, Child Custody,Landlord/Tenant,andEvictionExpungements. These are the types of legal issues often faced by victims and survivors of domestic violence.

What differentiates the center from other advocacy services is that victims and survi-vors are able to access legal services in the safe and convenient setting of a shelter. A comment posted on the center’s website captures the essence: “The legal system is not simple, especially for victims and sur-vivors of domestic violence, and too often they are left without access or unjust results. The Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy Center gives women an opportunity to navigate the legal system with confidence, perspective and support.”

And while the confidential nature of the center’s work means Evon and Rachel aren’t able to discuss specifics, they both smile at the recollection of being at a shelter and see-ing a woman they had counseled preparing to move out to live independently. The attor-neys said being able to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse in navigating the legal system with confidence felt profession-ally and personally rewarding.

At this time, the center is funded solely through donations from individuals and businesses. Rachel and Evon note that if not for their private practices, they would not be able to keep the center going. But the co-founders have a long-term business plan, focused on expanding the center’s services to additional shelters in the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota.

They also aspire to provide in-court repre-sentation for Women’s Advocate’s shelter residents for Orders for Protection and eviction expungements and to continue to provide training to shelter staffs in their roles as domestic abuse advocates.

The center intends to apply for a number of grants and foundation funding. Support from a volunteer grant writer would be especially welcome. For more infor-mation about the center and its services, please email Rachel at rachel@domesti-cabuselegaladvocacycenter.org or Evon at evon@domesticabuselegaladvocacycenter.org.

Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy Continued from p.4

St. Paul UUC EventsThe Arts & the Spiritual JourneyFebruary1,6:30–7:30pmJoin us for a fascinating discussion with Wilson Yates, President Emeritus and Dis-tinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, Society and the Arts at United Theologi-cal Seminary of the Twin Cities. All are welcome.

Randi Roth to speak at St. Paul’s UCC Wednesday evening February 22 at 6:30 p.m., St. Paul’s United Church of Christ invites you to hear Randi Roth, executive director of Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul (IA). This vital organization, formerly the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches, changed its name in 2015 after careful and strategic planning to enlarge the circle of faith communities working together for great benefit to the East metro.

Roth will speak of this organization’s vi-sion—People of faith will relieve the effects of poverty and address its causes through the transformative work of thousands of volunteers. She will talk about building an “infrastructure of opportunity” based on the

work of North Carolina poverty researcher David Dodson.

Roth is the interfaith organization’s first Jewish executive director, a former legal aid attorney and previously director of philan-thropy at the Otto Bremer Foundation in Saint Paul. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Interfaith Action’s dynamic leader!

The church is located at 900 Summit Ave, across from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. We are accessible, and parking is available off Milton or Victoria Avenues. Contact us at www.spucconsummit.org or call 651-224-5809.

This exceptional program has trained over three hundred young Minnesota musi-cians to appreciate, interpret, and present the great classical chamber music master-pieces. ACMS students are prizewinners in national competitions and have been featured on From the Top. They are prominent members of all the Twin Cities youth music programs, and ACMS alumni can be found in major conservatories and professional ensembles around the country.

Noonday Prayers St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent St., St Paul Wednesday, February 15 at 12 noonEveryone in the neighborhood is invited to join us at St. John’s for Noonday Prayers at 12:00 noon on Februrary 15. This brief service offers a chance to pause and reflect amidst your busy week. Con-tact the Reverend Jered Weber-Johnson at 651-228-1172 x11 with questions.

St. John Events Continued from p.6

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SAve The DATeGrand Old Day Street FestivalSunday, June 4, 2017 — 30 Blocks of Fun

8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Whether you’re looking for the best summer parade in Minnesota (complete with candy, of course!), Minne-sota outdoor music festivals, some of the best fair foods Minnesota has to offer, or just some good old family fun in the sun - St. Paul’s Grand Old Day is the place to go! The2-1/2MilesofGrandAvenue(fromDaleAvenueto Prior Avenue) is divided into 4 unique “Districts” which will have something for all ages and interests.