January 2011

Volume 8

Number 1

IN THIS ISSUE...• Sample St. Paul Event Guide........ Page 6• River Connections........................ Page 8• Community Columns................. Page 10• Back in Time.............................. Page 12

Mary Diedrick Hansen Staff Writer

The.battle.of.the.bud-get. continues. in.

South.St..Paul..The.trick-le-down.effect.of.lost.rev-enue. from. a. beleaguered.State.budget.is.producing.difficult.decision-making.challenges. for. the. City..In.2011.it.will.cost.$12.3.million. to. run. the. city.of. South. St.. Paul..That’s.a. 2.6. percent. reduction.($338,000). from. last.year’s.budget..The.budget.reduction.was.in.response.to.reduced.revenue.to.the.City.

Two. major. sources. of.

revenue.that.make.up.11.percent.of.the.budget.are.state-funded. Local. Gov-ernment. Aid. (LGA). and.Market.Value.Homestead.Credit.(MVHC)..In.2011.the. City. budgeted. for.a. 25. percent. decline. in.LGA. and,. assuming. that.cuts. in. MVHC. will. be.similar. to. those. imposed.in.2010,.a.revenue.reduc-tion. of. $725,000. is. ex-pected.from.the.State..In.addition,. losses. from. in-vestment. income,. build-ing.permits.and.planning.fees,. and. Xcel. Energy.franchise. fees. adds.up. to.nearly.$125,000.in.addi-tional.lost.revenue..

Lost. revenue. spells.budget. cuts..The.balanc-ing. act. the. City. must.perform. is. to. determine.how. far. to. go. in. cutting.personnel. and. services.without. jeopardizing. the.safety.of.its.residents.and.the. smooth. operation. of.the.City.

“Easy.budget.cuts.have.been. long. past. made.and. further. cuts. now. af-fect. basic. services,”. said.Stephen. King,. South. St..Paul. city. administrator..“Throughout.this.period,.the. city. council. has. ac-tively. examined. the. pos-sibilities. for. major. orga-nizational. restructuring.

as. a. means. to. reduced.costs,. greater. efficiencies.and.enhanced.service.de-livery.. For. Budget. Year.2011,. restructuring. has.moved. from. concept. to.implementation.”

“Implementation”.means. cutting. jobs..Three. full-time.positions.have.been.eliminated:.the.director.of.revenue.facili-ties,. a. code. enforcement.officer,. and. a. Parks-and.Recreation. secretary..Part-time. positions. axed.include. a. community.services. officer. (cur-

A new year; another fiscal challengeCity of SSP forced to trim staff, services to meet budget

South St. Paul Budget / Page 2

City worker Bob Brown spent the day pushing snow from one of the year’s biggest snowstorms.The Public Works Department will add two new lead worker positions this year.

Sample St. Paul Event GuidePage 6

River Connections: Frozen in TimePage 8

Remembering the Cow PalacePage 12

Page 2 - South St. Paul Voice - January 2011

Your community news and information sourceG overnment

The South St. Paul Voice.is.published.monthly.and.distributed.to.8,500.homes.and.high.traffic.businesses.in.South.St..Paul.Publisher & Editor: Tim.Spitzack. Copy Editor: Leslie.MartinReporter: Mary.Diedrick.Hansen Layout & Design: Mona.ToftContributors:.Lois.GlewweMasthead.design.by.Nick.GermanoAdvertising:..Mario.Polanco,.Henry.TorresHome Delivery: Independent.Delivery.Service.Bulk Delivery:..SC.Distribution.651-285-1119

The.South.St..Paul.Voice assumes.no.responsibility.for.the.opinions.expressed.by.contribu-tors.and.for.the.validity.of.claims.or.items.reported...Copyright.South.St..Paul.Voice 2010...All.rights.reserved.in.compliance.of.Federal.Copyright.Act.of.1978..

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Phone: (651) 457-1177 sppc@stpaulpublishing.comwww.stpaulpublishing.com

rently. unfilled). and. spe-cial. projects. coordinator.from. the. Police. Depart-ment,. and. a. finance. de-partment. employee.. The.Airport. Manager’s. posi-tion.is.under.scrutiny..

“The. city. council. is. in.discussion. with. the. Air-port.Tenants. Association.of. Airports. businesses.about. the. possibility. of.temporarily. funding. a.

continuation. of. an. Air-port. Manager. role,”. said.King.. “A. draft. of. the.Airport. Special. Revenue.Fund. budget. currently.includes.an.offer.of.fund-ing. from. the. Association.as. revenue. to. sustain. the.position,.but.the.Council.has. not. yet. acted. on. the.proposal.”.

The. recent. retirements.of. two. public. works. su-perintendents. is. leading.to. management,. staffing.and. service. changes. for.the. City’s. Public. Works.operations.. Two. new.maintenance. workers. are.being.added.and.the.Ser-vice. Center. will. expand.its. direct. service. respon-sibilities. to. include. the.grounds. and. building.maintenance. needs. of.Wakota. Arena. and. the.City. Airport.. The. City.also. contracted. with. the.South. St.. Paul. School.District.for.part-time.ser-vices. to. fill. the. require-ments. of. a. new. Public.Works.Director.position..The.management.change.includes. the. creation. of.

two.new.lead.worker.po-sitions. (utilizing. existing.staff ). for. the. streets. and.for. the. parks/recreation.maintenance.areas.

When. doing. the. math.and. comparing. the. near-ly. $850,000. in. lost. rev-enue. from. local. fees. and.state. dollars. to. roughly.$425,000. in.City. spend-ing.cuts,.and.use.of.2010.debt. reserves,. it. shows.that.the.City.is.still.short.an. estimated. $425,000..To.keep.things.operating.at. the. current. level,. that.money. will. come. from.property.taxes.

In. 2003. the. City. col-lected.around.$5.million.in.revenue.from.property.taxes.. In. 2011. it. will. be.close. to. $8. million.. The.steady. rise. in. property.taxes. is. in. response. to.steadily. declining. State.Aid.. In. 2003. the. City.received. over. $3. million.from. the. State,. but. that.amount. has. dropped. to.just. over. $1. million. in.2011.. Meanwhile,. total.spending. in. the. General.Fund. for. 2011. is. about.

the. same. as. it. was. in.2003,.approximately.$11.million.

“The. City. is. deter-mined. to. wean. itself. off.LGA.over.a.four-year.pe-riod. while. concurrently.moving. to. shore. up. the.City’s.fund.balances”.said.King.. “The. unreliability.and. expected. continued.decline. in. LGA. makes.moving. away. from. de-pendence. an. act. of. fiscal.self-defense.”

Property.taxes.are.com-plicated. to. say. the. least..Taxes. collected. for. 2011.are. based. on. Dec.. 31,.2009. property. values..There’s. a. two-year. lag.between. assessing. the.value. of. a. property. and.final. collection.. In. 2011.the. City. will. see. a. 5.7.percent. increase. prop-erty. taxes..However,. that.doesn’t. mean. everyone.will. have. to. hand. over.that.amount.

“It. must. be. stressed.that. this. percentage. in-crease.only.applies.to.the.aggregate. or. total. levy.and. does. not. accurately.

predict. the. percentage.change. that. will. occur.on. individual. parcels,”.said. King.. “In. addition,.property. value. has. not.decreased.uniformly.over.all. classes. of. property. or.even. from. one. home. to.another.. While. the. pro-posed. 2011. property. tax.levy. represents. a. collec-tive. 5.7. percent. increase.over. 2010,. it. cannot. be.said.that.each.property.in.the.City.will.experience.a.change. of. their. property.tax.by.that.same.percent-age.. Properties. with. a.significant. drop. in. value.may.actually. see. a. small-er. percentage. increase.and. properties. that. have.retained. value. may. see.a. larger. percentage. in-crease.”.

Of. South. St.. Paul’s.$12.3.million.budget. for.property. tax. supported.funds,. nearly. $11. mil-lion. goes. to. the. General.Fund,. which. covers. the.most. common. functions.of. City. government,. in-cluding. Public. Safety,.Public. Works. and. Parks.

and. Recreation.. About.half.of.the.General.Fund.budget. is. allocated. to.Public.Safety. (Police.and.Fire).. When. reviewing.proposed. 2011. General.Fund. program. budgets,.the.city.council.was.com-mitted. to. maintaining.funding.level.priority.for.Public. Safety. programs..Most. of. the. other. Gen-eral.Fund.programs.show.reduced.budget.spending.in. 2011.. The. proposed.2011. General. Fund. ex-penditures. are. $186,000.less. than. the. 2010. Bud-get,. a. 1.7.percent. reduc-tion..

Until. the. State. budget.shapes. up,. King. expects.budgets. in. the. City. to.continue.to.be.tight..

“What.will.be.cut.from.the. budget. and. how.much.taxes.will.rise.is.de-termined. by. the. amount.of. city. services. the. resi-dents. can. live. without,”.said.King..

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South St. Paul Budgetfrom page 1

South St. Paul Voice - January 2011 - Page 3

Your community news and information sourceN ews Briefs

Bruce. Bairaktaris. of.Quality.Auto.Care.Center.is.the.new.Board.Chair.for.the.River.Heights.Cham-ber. of.Commerce,.which.has.served.South.St..Paul.and. Inver. Grove. Heights.for. over. 100. years.  Bai-raktaris. is. the. owner. of.Quality. Auto. Care,. lo-cated. on. Concord. Ex-change.in.South.St..Paul...

Quality. Auto. Care.Center. started. off. pro-viding. custom. exhausts.and. general. repair,. and.has. expanded. its. services.over. the. years. to. include.engine. repair,. transmis-sion,. tire. repair. and. re-placement,. and. towing..Their. specialty. is. build-ing. custom. exhaust. and.installation..

The.Chamber.supports.development. opportu-nities. both. locally. and.statewide. and. provides.timely. updates. to. keep.its. members. informed.on. issues. that. affect. the.business. community..In. 2011,. it. will. expand.its. business. incubation.services. to. encourage.home-grown. business.development.. For. more.information,. call. 651-451-2266. or. visit. www.riverheights.com.

Library happenings

For. more. information.on. the. following. library.events,. call. 651-554-3240.or.visit.www.south-stpaul.org/library.

Hot Reads for Cold Nights -. This. 8-week.reading. program. for.adults. begins. Mon.,. Jan..3.. Participants. read. or.listen. to. a. book. of. their.choosing. and. submit.a. drawing. slip. for. the.chance. to. win. prizes,.such. as. gift. certificates,.books,. calendars,. book.bags.and.totes.

Book discussions -.January’s. title. is. “The.Book. Thief ”. by. Markus.Zusak.. This. novel. is.many. things,. including.a.story.about.a.young.thief.in. Germany;. a. tale. told.by. Death. overwhelmed.by. his. duties. during.WWII;.and.an.homage.to.how. the. power. of. books.can. change. lives.. The.Wednesday. group. meets.at. 1. p.m.,. Jan.. 19;. the.Thursday.group.meets.at.7.p.m.,.Jan..20..Informa-

tion.packets.are.available.at.the.library’s.front.desk.or. at. www.southstpaul.org/library. under. Adult.Book.Discussions..

Holiday closing - The.library. will. be. closed.Mon.,. Jan.. 17. in. obser-vance. of. Martin. Luther.King,.Jr..Day...

Book Bunch Book Club. –. Youth. in. grades.4-6. are. invited. to. join.this. club. to. read. realistic.fiction..The.next.meeting.is.4-5.p.m.,.Mon.,.Jan..3

Creative Movement – Steppingstone. Theatre.will. present. “Creative.Movement”. for. 3½-5.-year-olds. 10:30-11:30.a.m.,.Mon.,.Jan..10..This.program. will. focus. on.rhythm,. body. control,.flexibility,. concentra-tion. and. coordination..Participants. will. build.teamwork.and.trust.while.exploring. creativity. and.imagination. through.movement.. Registration.is.required.

Paws to R.E.A.D.. –.Reading. therapy. dog.Caesar. will. visit. the. li-

brary. Jan.. 13. and. 27..Call.or.visit.to.sign.up..

Sing, Play, Learn - MacPhail.Center.for.Mu-sic’s. early.childhood.mu-sic.specialists.will.present.a. program. 10:30-11:15.a.m.,. Tues.,. Jan.. 18. for.ages. five. and. under. that.explores. the. magic. of.music. and. play. through.hands-on. musical. activi-ties.. Registration. is. re-quired.

Read-to-Me Club. be-gins. Jan.. 18. for. infants.through. preschoolers..This. year. the. club. will.include. optional. activi-ties. to. increase. early. lit-eracy/reading.skills.

Storytime. is. offered.10:15-11. a.m.,. Fri.,. Jan..21.. Participants. are. in-vited.to.bring.their.favor-ite. teddy. bear. or. stuffed.animal.. The. stuffed. ani-mals. will. sleep. over. at.the. library. until. Satur-day.morning..When.they.pick.them.up,.they’ll.find.out. what. happens. when.the.library.lights.go.out.

Storytime for chil-dren age one and under.

and. their. caregiver. is. of-fered.at.6:30.p.m.,.Mon.,.Jan.. 24.. This. 20-minute.program. features. action.songs,. stories,. sign. lan-guage.and.more..Siblings.welcome.

Preschool Storytime is. offered. at. 10:15. a.m.,.Tues.,. Jan.. 25.. This.30-minute. program. in-cludes. books,. music. and.more,. based. on. a. new.theme. each. week.. Story-times.may.be.followed.by.a.short.craft.project,.with.supplies.provided.

Toddler Storytime. is.held.at.10:15.a.m.,.Wed.,.Jan.. 26. for. children. age.three. and. younger. and.their. caregiver.. This.20-minute. program. in-cludes. action. rhymes,.songs,.books.and.more.

Daughters of Africa event - Take. a. musical.journey. with. Thoma-sina. Petrus. of. the. Mixed.

Bairaktaris named chair of the River Heights Chamber of Commerce

Bruce Bairaktaris

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Page 4 - South St. Paul Voice - January 2011

Your community news and information sourceN ews Briefs

Blood.Theatre. to.explore.African. American. wom-en’s. history. with. songs.from.such.musical.artists.as. Billie. Holiday,. Aretha.Franklin.and.Queen.Lati-fah..The. event. is. held. at.6:30. p.m.,. Thurs.,. Feb..3..All.ages.welcome.

Lighten Up Family Recipes – Chef.John.Mi-chael. Lerma,. who. lost.over.70.pounds.by.simply.lightening. up. his. fam-ily. recipes,.will.present. a.demonstration. on. Choc-olate. Truffle. Cheesecake.and.Cheesy.Potatoes.at.2.p.m.,.Sat.,.Feb..5..Partici-pants.are.invited.to.bring.a.family.recipe.to.share... Read Across South St. Paul

Volunteers. are. needed.the. first. Friday. of. each.month.to.read.to.elemen-tary.students.in.South.St..Paul.. The. Read. Across.South. St.. Paul. program.has. reached. over. 60,000.students.    . If. you. like.to. read. to. kids,. this. is.the. program. for. you..

For. more. information,.contact. Deb. Griffith. at.651-554-3230. or. deb.griffith@southstpaul.org,.or.visit.www.southstpaul.org..

Senior Center activities

The.South.St..Paul.Se-nior. Center,. located. at.the.Central.Square.Com-munity. Center,. 100. Sev-enth. Ave.. N.,. is. offering.the. following. activities.for. adults. age. 55. and.over.

Dancing and social hour -. Offered. 1-2:30.p.m.. the. last. Tuesday. of.each. month.. This. free.event. includes. dancing,.music.and.refreshments..

Penny Bingo. -. Bring.your. pennies. on. first.Monday. of. each. month.to. the. Senior. Center. for.Penny.Bingo..Play.begins.at.1.p.m.

Movies matinee - Af-ternoon. at. the. Movies.and. Old. Time. Movies.are. shown. at. 1. p.m.. on.the. second. Tuesday. of.each. month. and. third.Tuesday. of. each. month,.

respectively.. Cost. is. $1..Refreshments.provided.

For. more. information.on. other. programs. of-fered. for. seniors,. call. the.Senior. Center. at. 651-306-3693..

Fare for All ExpressFare. For. All. Express.

will.be.held.4-6.p.m.,.Jan..4,. Feb.. 1. and. Mar.. 1,. at.Central. Square. Commu-nity.Center,.100.7th.Ave..N..Fare.for.All.Express.is.a. program. of. the. Emer-gency. Foodshelf. Net-work. that. partners. with.organizations. around. the.Twin. Cities. metro. area,.including. South. St.. Paul.Central. Square. Commu-nity.Center.. It. is.a.coop-erative. food. buying. pro-gram. that. buys. food. in.bulk.directly.from.whole-salers. and.passes. the. sav-ings. on. to. participants..The. program. can. result.in. a. 50. percent. savings.on. monthly. groceries.by. purchasing. “express.packages.”. No. advance.payment. or. pre-registra-tion. is. needed. to. pur-chase. packages. and. there.

is.no.limit.to.the.number.of. packages. that. can. be.purchased. each. month..Fare. For. All. is. open. to.everyone.. There. are. no.income-based. require-ments. for. participation..Participation.does.not.af-fect. eligibility. to. receive.assistance.from.the.food-shelf.. For. more. informa-tion,. call. the. community.center. at. 651-306-3690.or.visit.www.southstpaul.org.

Winter program registration

The. South. St.. Paul.Parks. and. Recreation.Department. and. Cen-tral. Square. Community.Center. is. accepting. reg-istrations. for. its. winter.programs,. including. af-ter. school. bowling,. non-school. day. field. trips,.fitness/wellness. classes.offered. at. the. Central.Square.Community.Cen-ter,.indoor.swimming.les-sons,. karate,. gymnastics.and. more.. Registration.for. indoor. swimming.lessons. and. gymnastics.classes. begins. online. at.

8. a.m.,. Wed.,. Jan.. 5,.and. in-person. at. 8. a.m.,.Thurs.,.Jan..6,.at.Central.Square,.100.Seventh.Ave..N.. For. more. informa-tion,. call. 651-306-3690.or.visit.www.southstpaul.org.

Floats and FlicksThe. Central. Square.

Community. Center,. lo-cated.at.100.Seventh.Ave..N.,.will.host.a.Floats.and.Flicks. party. 6-8. p.m.,.Fri.,.Jan..21..Participants.will. watch. a. movie. on. a.big. screen. while. float-ing. in. the. pool.  Cost. is.$3.25,. or. free. for. mem-bers.. For. more. informa-tion,.call.651-306-3690.

Outdoor skatingand walking

South. St.. Paul’s. out-door. skating. rinks. are.open.  Harmon. Rink,.Spruce. Street. and. Henry.Avenue,. includes.a.hock-ey.rink.and.indoor.warm-ing. facility.. Rinks. with.both. hockey,. pleasure.skating.and.a.warming.fa-cility.are  .Lorraine.Rink,.

Third. Avenue. South. and.Seventh.Street.South,.Jef-ferson .Rink,.21st.Avenue.North. and. Southview.Boulevard,  and. Brom-ley. Rink,. 22nd. Avenue.North. . and. Bromley..Locations. with. pleasure.skating. are.Spruce .Rink,.Seventh. Avenue. South.and. Spruce. St.,. and. Se-idls.Rink,.Fourth.Avenue.South. and. 14th.  Warm-ing.house.hours.are.4:30-8. p.m.,. Mon.-Thurs.;.4:30-8:30. p.m.,. Fri.;.noon-8:30.p.m.,.Sat.;.1-6.p.m.,. Sun.. Special. hours.apply. during. holidays.and.non-school.breaks..

Dakota. County. re-moves. snow. from. the.4.5-mile.Riverfront.Trail,.the. 1.6-mile. Kapoisa.Landing. trail. and. the. .5-mile. McMorrow. Field.Trail.. Parking. for. the.Riverfront. Trail. is. avail-able.at.the.South.St..Paul.Municipal. Service. Cen-ter,. 400. E.. Richmond.St.,. and. Simons. Ravine.Trailhead,.1308.N..Con-cord. St.. Parking. for. the.Kaposia. Landing. trail. is.at. Concord. Street. North.

continued from page 3

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South St. Paul Voice - January 2011 - Page 5

Your community news and information sourceN ews Briefsand. Bryant. Avenue,. and.parking. for. the. McMor-row.Field trail.is.at.South.Street.and.Henry.Avenue.. 

Business groupoffers $500 marketing grant

The. South. St.. Paul.Business. Association. is.accepting. applications.through. Dec.. 31. for. a.$500. marketing. grant.that. it. will. award. to. one.South. St.. Paul. business..Applicants. must. have. an.

established. business. in.South. St.. Paul. for. more.than. a. year,. have. a. pub-lic. customer. base. and.indicate. how. the. grant.will. be. used. to. market.their.business..The.grant.will. be. awarded. Jan.. 19,.2011,. at. the. South. St..Paul. Business. Associa-tion. meeting.. Additional.grants. may. be. awarded.throughout. 2011.. Ap-plications. are. available.at. B&G. Crossing,. 601.Marie.Ave.,.or.by.calling.

651-451-8563..Complet-ed.applications.should.be.sent.to.the.South.St..Paul.Business.Association,.c/o.B&G.Crossing,.601.Ma-rie. Ave.,. South. St.. Paul,.MN.55075.

SSP Garden ClubThe.South.St..Paul.

Garden.Club.is.hosting.a.presentation.on.winter.sowing.at.7.p.m.,.Mon.,.Jan..3,.at.the.South.St..Paul.VFW.Post.#295,.111.South.Concord.Ex-

change,.South.St..Paul..Sally.Patrick.will.dem-onstrate.how.to.grow.hundreds.of.perennial.plants.over.the.winter.using.milk.cartons,.soil.and.seeds..The.prepared.cartons.are.placed.in.a.south-facing.snow-bank.and.by.spring.will.produce.seedlings.that.can.be.transplanted.to.garden.beds..Soil.will.be.available.for.those.who.want.to.create.their.own.milk.carton.planter..The.

meeting.is.open.to.the.public.and.will.feature.refreshments..For.more.information,.contact.Lois.Glewwe.at.651-457-3403.

Volunteer opportunities

• The Minnesota Reading Corps. is. seek-ing reading.tutors.for.the.2010/2011. school. year..The. program. provides.free,. one-on-one. tutor-ing. to. children. age. three.

through. third. grade.  For.more. information. or. to.apply,.visit.www..Minne-sotaReadingCorps.org. or.call.1-866-859-2825.

• Neighbors, Inc., a. social. service. agency.serving.Northern.Dakota.County,. has. a. number.of. volunteer. opportuni-ties. to. assist. local. resi-dents..For.more.informa-tion,. contact. volunteer@neighborsmn.org. or. call.651-306-2145.

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Your community news and information sourceS ample St. PaulOrdway Center for Performing Arts

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. is.presented.through.Jan..2..This.An-drew. Lloyd. Webber. and.Tim.Rice.production.tells.the. story. of. Joseph,. his.jealous. brothers. and. one.very. colorful. garment..American. Idol. finalist.Anthony. Fedorov. ap-pears. as. Joseph.. Joining.the. performers. onstage.are. 40. Twin. Cities-area.school. children.. Tickets.are.$27-$81..

Grammy. Award-win-ner. Angélique Kidjo.will. be. in. concert. 7:30.p.m.,.Fri.,.Jan..21..Kidjo.cross-pollinates. the. West.African. traditions. of. her.childhood. in. Benin. with.elements. of. R&B,. funk.and.jazz,.as.well.as.influ-ences. from. Europe. and.Latin.America..She.shares.her. very. own. brand. of.rhythmic. Afro-funk. and.pop. from. the. four. cor-

ners.of.the.globe..Tickets.are. $15-$25.. The. Ord-way. Center. is. located. at.345. Washington. St.,. St..Paul.. For. more. informa-tion,. call. 651-224-4222.or.visit.www.ordway.org.

Xcel Energy CenterRascal Flatts,. with.

special.guests.Luke.Bryan.and. Chris. Young,. will.present. their. “Nothing.Like. This. Tour”. at. 7:30.p.m.,.Fri.,. Jan..21..Tick-ets.are.$25-$69.75..

Linkin Park,.with.spe-cial.guests.Pendulum and.Does. It. Offend. You,.Yeah?,. will. perform. at. 7.p.m.,.Fri.,. Jan..28..Tick-ets. are. $42.50-$72.50..For. more. information,.call.651-726-8240.or.vis-it. www.xcelenergycenter.com.

Children’s Museum“Living in Space”. is.

presented.through.Jan..2..This. interactive. exhibit.is. inspired. by. the. Inter-

national. Space. Station,.the. largest. international.aerospace. project. ever,.

and. teaches. participants.about. the. everyday. ac-tivities.of.astronauts..

“Japan and Nature: Spirits of the Seasons”.is.presented.through.Jan..23.. This. exhibit. shows.the. similarities. and. dif-ferences. of. each. season.of. the. year. in. Japan. and.Minnesota.. Tickets. are.

$8.95.. The. museum. is.located.at.10.W..Seventh.St.,.St..Paul..For.more.in-formation,. call. 651-225-6000.

History Center“Chocolate: The Ex-

hibition”. is. presented.through. Jan.. 2.. Immerse.yourself. in. the. story. of.chocolate. by. exploring.the. plant,. the. products.and.the.culture.of.choco-late.through.the.lenses.of.science,.history.and.pop-ular. culture..The. exhibit.features. experiments. and.hands-on. activities,. as.well.as.Mayan,.Aztec.and.17th-century. European.artifacts.

“Minnesota on the Map,”.a.traveling.exhibit.featuring. 23. reproduc-tion. maps. and. atlases,. is.presented.through.Jan..9..The. exhibit. features. an.1863.map.by.Louis.Hen-nepin. of. the. upper. Mis-sissippi. Valley,. a. video.station.with.commentary.by. local. historians,. a. bin.of. laminated. maps. that.allows. for. an. up-close.look. at. Minnesota. geog-raphy.and.history,.and.an.oversized. jigsaw. puzzle.map.of.the.state..

“The Value of One Life” is. presented. Jan..15-April. 10.. This. ex-hibit. highlights. portraits.of. eight. people. who. sur-vived. life-altering. events.and. went. on. to. lead. in-spiring.lives..

Tickets. are. $10. for.adults,.$8.for.seniors.and.college. students,. and. $5.

“The Old Man and the Sea” is featured in Ominfest 2011 at the Omni-theatre, located in the Science Museum. The Academy Award-winning film depicts Ernest Hemingway’s tale of a fisherman’s duel in stunning hand-painted imagery. The film also includes a short live-action bio of the author.

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Your community news and information sourceS ample St. Paulfor. children. ages. 6-17..The.center.offers.free.ad-mission.on.Tuesdays,.5-8.p.m.. For. more. informa-tion,. call. 651-259-3000.or.visit.www.mnhs.org.

Science Museum“Geometry Play-

ground”. is. presented.through. Jan.. 9.. This. ex-hibit. will. have. partici-pants.climbing,.building,.drawing. and. playing. to.teach. the. ways. in. which.mathematical. principles.affect. how. we. move,. see.and.fit.things.together.in.the.world.around.us..

Omnifest 2011. -. Om-nifest. features. five. new.films. showing. daily. in.the. Omnitheater. Jan..7-Feb..17..Shows.include:.

“Hubble,”.“Old.Man.and.the.Sea,”.“Sea.Monsters,”.“Wild.Safari”.and.“Trop-ical.Rain.Forest.”

Museum. tickets. are.$11.for.adults.and.$8.50.for. children. ages. 4-12.and. seniors. age. 60. and.older,.or.$17.and.$14.50.respectively. with. admis-sion. to. the. Omnithe-ater..Omnitheater. tickets.alone.are.$8/$7..The.Sci-ence. Museum. is. located.at. 120. W.. Kellogg. Blvd..For. more. information,.visit. www.smm.org,. or.call.651-221-9444.

Park Square Theatre

“2 Pianos, 4 Hands” is. featured. through. Jan..2.. Ted. and. Richard. are.piano. whiz. kids. with.stars.in.their.eyes..Work-ing. toward. their. dream,.they. begin. to. realize. the.difference. between. “very.good”. and. “great.”. Two.very.talented.men.fill.the.stage.with.everyone.from.pushy. parents. to. eccen-tric. teachers.. And. yes,.they.do.play.those.pianos.–. everything. from. Bach.to. Jerry.Lee.Lewis..Tick-

ets.are.$20-$60..“The Odyssey”. is. pre-

sented. Jan.. 14.-Feb.. 6..Legendary.warrior.Odys-seus. fights. tides,. beasts.and.his.own.arrogance.—.often.with.no.weapon.ex-cept. his. passion.. But. it’s.not. just. his. adventure:.his. wife. fights. the. urge.to. give. up. on. the. world,.and.his.teenage.son.wres-tles. with. the. journey. to.adulthood..

Tickets. are. $20-$60,.and. $15. for. ages. 30. and.under.. A. $5. discount. is.offered.for.people.age.62.and. older..The. theater. is.located. in. the. Historic.Hamm. Building,. 20. W..7th. Place,. St.. Paul.. For.more. information,. call.651-291-7005..

Artists’ QuarterThe. Artists’. Quarter,.

located. in. the. Historic.

Hamm. Building. at. Sev-enth. Place. and. St.. Peter.in. downtown. St.. Paul,.offers. live. entertainment.throughout. the. month,.including.jazz.bands,.po-etry.nights.and.the.popu-lar.B-3.organ.night,.held.at. 9. p.m.. every. Tuesday..For. a. complete. schedule.of. events,. call. 651-292-1359.or.visit.www.artist-squarter.com..

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Page 8 - South St. Paul Voice - January 2011

Your community news and information sourceR iver Connections

Tim SpitzackEditor

While. most. artists.are. hunkered. in-

side. their. warm. studios.this. time. of. year,. land-scape. artist. Joshua. Cun-ningham. is. out. trudging.through.snowdrifts.along.the. banks. of. the. Missis-sippi.River..As.the.north-ern. wind. stings. his. face.and. ice. crystals. accumu-late.on.his.beard,.he.scans.the. horizon. for. the. right.scene.that.he.can.transfer.to.canvas,.thus.preserving.the. beauty. of. the. river.cloaked.in.winter..

Cunningham,. a. plein.

air. painter,. enjoys. being.out. in. nature. with. his.brushes,. oils. and. canvas.to. soak. in. its. splendor,.breathe.in.its.inspiration,.and.experience.the.magic.of. the.moment.when. the.light. splashes. across. a.landscape. he. intends. to.paint..He.paints.on.loca-tion.year.around,.but.also.works. from. his. studio. in.his.St..Paul.home,.where.he. lives. with. his. wife.Shannon. and. their. chil-dren,.Greta.and.William..

“I.have.found.the.chal-lenge.of.painting.outside.to. have. awakened. and.clarified. why. I. paint,”.said. Cunningham,. 36..

“Plein.air.paintings.done.on.location.in.the.winter.have.a.different. feel. than.those.in.the.summer..The.paint. is. stiffer. and. you.can.pile. the.white.as.you.try. to. capture. the. snow..In. the. summer. the. paint.is. more. fluid. so. they.have. a. different. tactual.quality.. The. light. in. the.winter. is. also. very. dif-ferent.. The. lower. sun.offers. shorter. windows.of. working. time,. but. in.those. windows. the. light.can. be. pretty. dramatic,.with.long.raking.shadows.and. the. myriad. of. colors.bouncing. around. in. the.snow.”.

Frozen in TimeSt. Paul artist captures the simple beauty of the Mississippi River in wintertime

ABOVE: “Blue Shadows and Bare Branches” is featured through Jan. 15 in a new exhibit at Grand Hill Gallery, 333 Grand Ave., Suite 101, St. Paul.RIGHT: Cunning-ham has painted in a number of locales throughout the United States, includ-ing the Great Lakes.

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Your community news and information sourceR iver ConnectionsThe. Mississippi. River.

is. one. of. Cunninghan’s.favorite. subjects.. One.of. his. recent. creations,.“Blue. Shadows. and. Bare.Branches,”. depicts. bar-ren. trees. along. the. fro-zen. Mississippi. River.and.punctuates.his.desire.to. capture. nuances. of. a.landscape. that. inspire.him..

“The. unique. growth.of. each. silhouetted. tree.trunk. divides. the. sky.like. the. architecture. of.a. stained. glass. window,.holding.a.mosaic.of.light,.air. and. ice,”. said. Cun-ningham.of.the.painting..“When.lost.to.the.beauty.of.winter. transfigured.by.the.light,.one.doesn’t.feel.the. cold. so. much. as. the.sun.”. 

The. painting. is. fea-tured. through. Jan.. 15. in.a. new. exhibit. at. Grand.Hill. Gallery,. 333. Grand.Ave.,.Suite.101,.St..Paul..The. exhibit. includes. 30.paintings. he. has. created.in. the. Mississippi. River.

Valley. and. other. locales,.including. the. prairie.of. Western. Minnesota,.the. Great. Lakes. and. the.Great.Northwest.

Doug. Nielsen,. owner.of. Grand. Hill. Gallery,. is.excited.to.have.Cunning-ham. back. for. another.exhibit.. This. summer. he.was. featured. in. a. show.along. with. fellow. artist.Richard. Abraham,. also. a.landscape.painter.

“I.am.an.admirer.of.his.work,”. said.Nielsen,.who.met. Cunningham. last.year. during. the. St.. Paul.Art. Crawl.. “This. show.has.a.number.of.interest-ing. scenes.. He. had. a. re-ally. successful. show. (this.summer). and. a. number.of. pieces. sold.”. For. this.show,. his. paintings. are.priced.between.$500.and.$3,000,.with.most.under.$1,000.. Nearly. half. of.the. paintings. are. scenes.along. the. Mississippi.River..

“So.many.paintings.are.of.the.river.because.I.love.

roaming.around.the.river.valley,”. said. Cunning-ham..“It.is.a.place.I.enjoy.being.”

His.love.affair.with.the.landscape. of. the. Missis-sippi. River. valley. began.several. years. ago. when. a.fellow. artist. invited. him.on. a. painting. excursion.near. Lake. Pepin,. on. the.Wisconsin. side.. It. was. a.cold,. wet. and. windy. day.in. April. and. Cunning-ham.was.woefully.under-dressed.to.paint.outside..

. “It. was. miserable,”. he.laughed,. recalling. the.day.. “I. wasn’t. dressed.warm. enough.. I. hadn’t.painted. enough. to. jus-tify. such. a. road. trip. to.go. find. a. worthy. subject.matter..I.was.so.new.to.it.that. I. was. barely. worthy.of. attempting. a. painting.of.a.tree.in.my.backyard,.let.alone.the.wonder.that.waits. around. the. bends.of.those.rural.river.roads..But.there.I.was,.hunkered.down,. chilled. to. the.bone,. making. a. terrible.

painting,. eating. a. cold.sandwich. with. a. great.big. grin. on. my. face.. For.whatever. reason,. my. life.hadn’t. brought. me. down.that. magical. road.. I. fell.in. love. with. all. the. little.winding. roads. and. views.and.rolling.fields.”.

Raised. along. with. his.four. brothers. in. rural.Isanti,. Minn.,. Cunning-ham. was. drawn. to. art. at.an. early. age. but. it. took.on. even. greater. impor-tance. for. him. following.the. death. of. his. young-est. brother,. Ryan,. who.was. killed. in. a. car. ac-cident.. Painting. became.an. outlet. for. him. and. a.way.to.heal.from.his.pain.and.find.direction.for.his.own.life..The.tragic.event.also.inspired.him.to.pur-sue.his.own.dreams.more.vigorously.. However,. his.career. path. has. been. a.winding. road.. He. stud-ied.art.at.St..Cloud.State.University,. St.. John’s.University. and. the. Ate-lier.Art.School.in.Minne-

apolis,. but. chose. to. quit.those. schools. prior. to.getting.a.degree..Instead,.he. sought. out. and. stud-ied. under. other. accom-plished.artists.in.the.Twin.Cities,. including. Mark.Balma,. Jeff. Hurinenko.and. Joe. Paquet.. Thanks.to. a. supportive. wife. and.success. in.his.field,.Cun-ningham. is. able. to. pur-sue. his. art. full-time.. He.paints.two.to.three.times.a. week. and. promotes. his.work. through. gallery.shows. and. other. market-ing. efforts..He. said.he. is.featured. in. about. nine.shows. a. year. and. sells.paintings.every.month.

“I. make. my. life. as. an.artist,. a. husband. and.a. father,”. he. said.. “My.wife’s. unwavering. sup-port.makes. it. possible. to.do.what.I.do.”

Cunningham. credits.much.of.his.early.success.to.the.St..Paul.Art.Crawl.

“The. Art. Crawl. has.

been. my. touchstone,”. he.said.. “The. exposure. has.been. so. great.. You. have.three.days.to.talk.to.peo-ple.who. are. in. the.mood.to.look.for.art.”.

His. painting,. “Along.the.Line,”.a.railroad.scene.in.St..Paul.along. the. riv-er,. won. the. St.. Paul. Art.Crawl.Poster.competition.this.fall.and.was.featured.on.the.promotional.post-er. to. publicize. the. semi-annual. event..The. paint-ing. was. acquired. by. the.Cafesjian. Center. for. the.Arts.. To. view. his. work,.visit. www.joshuacun-ningham.com.

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Page 10 - South St. Paul Voice - January 2011

Your community news and information sourceC ommunity Columns

It’s. the. start. of. a. new.year.. A. time. when.

people. think. about. what.they.might.do.differently.in. the.next.12.months.. I.learned.a.long.time.ago.to.be.very.careful.in.making.resolutions,. so. now. I. fo-

cus. on. things. like,. “I. re-solve.not. to. jump.out.of.airplanes,”. or. “I. resolve.not. to. purchase. a. Rolls.Royce.”.You.know,.things.I. can. be. pretty. sure. I’m.actually. going. to. be. able.to.accomplish.

As. we. begin. 2011,. I.started. to. think. about.changes. I’d. like. to. see.that. could. have. a. pro-found. positive. effect. on.all.of.us..Here.are.several.things.I’d.like.to.see.hap-pen.in.2011.that.I.believe.would. make. the. world.better.for.everyone..

I’d. like. to. see. the. so-called. “economic. recov-ery”. the. experts. tell. us.we.are.experiencing.begin.to.reach.real.people..Our.experience.here.at.Neigh-bors.is.that.so.far.this.re-covery.has.nothing. to.do.with.the.average.working.person..Corporate.profits.

might. be. up. and. inves-tors.might.be.seeing.more.of. a. return. on. their. in-vestment,. but. so. far. this.seems.to.be.at.the.expense.of.working.people.

What. value. is. there.for. the. average. work-ing. person. if. the. com-pany. they. used. to. work.for. is. successful. because.they. moved. jobs. to. In-dia. or. China. or. some.other. place?. The. dis-placed. worker. is. still. out.of. work,. and. in. many.instances. has. very. little.hope.of.returning.to.work.in.the.near.term..

I.would. like. to. see. our.

state. legislators.put.party.politics. aside. and. work.together. to. find. a. work-able,. long-term. solution.to.our.state.funding.woes..I’d. like.to.see.them.focus.on. policies,. not. politics,.and.work.in.a.bi-partisan.fashion. to. find. real. solu-tions.. So. much. of. what.goes. on. in. St.. Paul. dur-ing. the. legislative. ses-sion. is. designed. to. make.the.other.party. look.bad..That.has.to.stop,.and.our.legislators. must. realize.we.have.deep-seated,.sys-temic.problems.that.must.be. solved,. and. rhetoric.and.party.posturing.won’t.solve.them..

Meanwhile. it’s. up. to.you. and. me,. every. time.we. step. into. the. voting.booth,. to. tell. them. this..As. long.as.we.keep.elect-ing.people.who.have.dem-onstrated.that.their.focus.is.on.toeing.the.party.line.and. appeasing. the. party.leadership,. we. will. con-tinue.to.have.a.legislature.that. is. non-responsive. to.the.real.issues.we.all.face.

I’d.like.to.see.our.com-munity. leadership,. both.elected. and. hired,. un-derstand. the. importance.of. making. sure. that. the.average. employee. can. af-ford. to. purchase. a. home.in. their. community.. Too.many.of.our.local.leaders.don’t. understand. that. af-fordable. housing. doesn’t.necessarily. mean. subsi-dized. housing.. It. means.housing. that. the. person.who. is. working. for. $16-$25.an.hour.can.afford.to.purchase. so. their. family.can. live. in. the. commu-nity. of. their. choice,. and.they. can. live. reasonably.close.to.where.they.work...

I’d. like. to. see. us,. as. a.nation,. move. closer. to.the. center.. Too. many. of.us,. in. all. walks. of. life,.live. too. close. to. the. po-lar.extremes,.those.places.where.the.zealots.live.and.where. it. is. impossible. to.find. the. middle. ground.because. zealots. don’t. be-lieve.a.middle.ground.ex-ists.. I.heard. former.Min-nesota. Governor. Arne.Carlson. speak. on. this.subject.while.he.was.inof-fice.. Apparently,. he. had.

just. come. from. a. meet-ing. where. nothing. was.accomplished. because.nobody. was. willing. to.find. a. compromise. that.would. solve. whatever. is-sue. they. were. working.on.. I.have.come.to. think.of. his. speech. that. day.as. his. “Rise. of. Zealotry.and. Demise. of. America”.speech.. He. pointed. out.that.America.was.built.on.the.spirit.of.compromise,.whether.in.business,.poli-tics,.religion.or.whatever,.and. as. we. move. more.and. more. toward. the. ex-tremes.and.away.from.the.middle.we.lose.the.ability.to. compromise.. Without.that. ability,. we. were. in.danger. of. losing. every-thing. that.made.America.great..

Finally,.I’d.like.to.see.us.as.a.community,.a.county,.a. state. and. a. nation. be-come. a. kinder. and. gen-tler. people;. people. who.care. for. and. about. oth-ers.. I. can’t. end. without.saying. that. our. experi-ence.here.at.Neighbors.is.that.we.live.and.work.in.a.community. where. many,.many. people. really. do.care. for. and. about. oth-ers.. In. 2010. over. 1,200.of. these. people. volun-teered.their. time.to.serve.others. in.our.community.through.Neighbors..Over.4,000. people. made. one.or. more. financial. con-tributions. to. Neighbors.so. we. could. continue. to.serve. the. people. of. our.community,. and. many.thousands. more. donated.food,. clothing,. house-hold.goods,.toys.and.gifts.to. Neighbors. so. that. we.would. have. them. to. give.to.people.in.need.

You. have. no. idea. how.humbling.it.is.to.be.a.part.of. this. organization. and.the. recipient. of. so. much.care. and. concern.. All. of.us.at.Neighbors.hope.you.know. how. much. we. ap-preciate. your. friendship.and. support,. and. how.deeply.we.value.being.al-lowed. to. be. part. of. this.wonderful.community.

Best. wishes. for. a. suc-cessful. 2011,. and. let’s.hope.some.of.these.wish-es.come.true.

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Neighbors, Inc.

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South St. Paul Voice - January 2011 - Page 11

Deb Griffith Community affairs liaison

It.is.hard.to.believe.that.we. are. heading. into.

2011.. We. recently. took.a. look. back. at. what. we.accomplished. in. 2010.and. noticed. a. common.theme:.partnerships.were.key!. Here. are. a. few. ex-amples.

In. March,. the. Mayor’s.Youth. Task. Force. hosted.our. second. Town. Hall.Meeting,.entitled.“Going.Green.in.South.St..Paul.”.This.90-minute.TV.show.was. broadcast. live. on.Town. Square. TV.. Many,.many. hours. went. into.writing. and. developing.the. show..The. youth. did.a. great. job. and. it. went.off. without. a. hitch.. Our.thanks. to. Town. Square.TV. and. Experience.Shows,. Inc.,. for. partner-ing. with. the. Task. Force.to.get.the.“Going.Green”.message.out..In.addition,.the.Task. Force. partnered.with.Town. Square.TV. to.produce.“FYI.–.For.Youth.Information,”. a. month-ly. TV. Show.. Watch. for.more.information.on.this.program..

Our. message. of. “go-ing. green”. was. heard.throughout. the. commu-nity,. and. South. St.. Paul.is.a.greener.place.because.of.it..Perhaps.you.noticed.at. summer. events. that.the.Task. Force. no. longer.served. water. in. dispos-able. bottles,. but. rather.developed. a. reusable. wa-ter. bottle. that. could. be.refilled. for. free. at. our.events.. Our. thanks. to.Wakota. Federal. for. co-sponsoring. the. refillable.water. bottle. and. making.

South.St..Paul.a.“greener”.place.to.live...

Additional.partnerships.included. the. 2010. River.and. Park. Beautification.Project. where. we. teamed.up.with.the.Union.Pacific.Railroad.and.Sportsman’s.Guide.. Even. through.the. original. date. was.rained. out,. we. still. had.a. great. turnout.. Thanks.to.Wakota.Arena.and.the.COOP.for.co-sponsoring.lunch.. Other. partners.included. Disco. Bingo. at.Angelo’s. Italian. Restau-rant,. Star. Gazing. Party.at.the.South.St..Paul.Air-port.with.WCCO.Meteo-rologist. Mike. Lynch,. Fill.the. Backpack. Campaign.with. the. Mizpah. Lodge’s.Taco.Feed.at.the.Croatian.Hall,. Buckle. Up. Cam-paign.with.South.St..Paul.High. School. SADD. stu-dents,. and. the. South. St..Paul. Public. Library. and.Tim. Spitzack,. author. of.“The. Messenger,”. for. a.book.reading.and.signing.event..

The. summer. was. espe-cially. busy. for. the. Task.Force. with. the. Sounds.of. South. St.. Paul,. Swim-ming.under.the.Stars.and.Movies. in. the. Park.. Did.the. partnerships. con-tinue?. You. bet!.The.Task.Force. received. a. grant.from. the. Metropolitan.Regional. Arts. Council.and. partnered. with. the.South. St.. Paul. School.District. to. bring. eight.weeks. of. cultural. music.and. dance. to. South. St..Paul.. We. worked. with.South. St.. Paul. Parks. and.Recreation. for. Swim-ming. Under. the. Stars. at.Northview. Pool,. and. Ex-

perience.Shows.and.Cen-tral. Square. Community.Center. for.Movies. in. the.Park..

In. addition,. the. Task.Force. partnered. with.Neighbors,. Inc.,. Daisy.Troop. 55167. and. the.Lincoln. Center. and. Ka-posia. Education. Cen-ter. Peace. Clubs. for. the.recent. Mitten. and. Hat.Drive,.the.South.St..Paul.Lion’s.Club.for.the.senior.

citizen’s. Thanksgiving.Dinner,. Wakota. Arena.for. the. free. Community.Skates. program,. and. the.community. for. the.Great.Halloween. Get.Together..Task. Force. members. are.excited.about.all.their.ac-complishments. and. have.many. great. ideas. in. the.works.. We. will. continue.to. offer. new. and. fun. ac-tivities. and. events. in. the.community.and.are.com-

mitted. to. working. with.the.youth. to.make.South.St.. Paul. a. better. place. to.live. work. and. play.. Our.thanks. to. everyone. who.has. partnered. with. us,.attended. events. and. sup-ported. the. Youth. Task.Force!.2011.is. looking.to.be.a.continuation.of.all.of.the.good.work.of.2010..

If. you. are. a. resident,.business. or. organization.with. ideas,. suggestions.

or. resources. and. would.like.to.assist.in.planning,.sponsoring. or. partnering.on. an. event. or. activity,.the.Task.Force.would.like.to. hear. from. you.. Con-tact. Deb. Griffith,. com-munity. affairs. liaison,. at.651-554-3230. or. deb.griffith@southstpaul.org.

Make. the. South. St..Paul. Mayor’s. Youth. Task.Force.your.2011.partner!..

Your community news and information sourceC ommunity Columns

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Page 12 - South St. Paul Voice - January 2011

Lois GlewweContributor

Whether. it’s. sledding.on. the. Jefferson.

Hill,. cross-country. skiing.on. the. river. trail. or.play-ing.hockey.on.an.outdoor.rink,. South. St.. Paul. resi-dents. play. outdoors. even.in. the. coldest. weeks. of.winter.. Ice. skating. and.hockey. have. always. been.two. of. the. most. popular.activities..The.first.public.rink. opened. in. February.1919,. and. by. 1935. five.warming.houses.had.been.built. at. area. municipal.rinks.

It. wasn’t. until. 1945-46.that. the. Minnesota. High.School. Hockey. League.staged. its. first. tourna-ment.. Ralph. Page. estab-lished.the.first.boys’.hock-ey.team.at.South.St..Paul.High. School. that. same.year.. Page. coached. the.team. through. the. 1951-52. season. and. took. three.teams. to. the. State. Tour-nament.during.his.tenure,.taking.consolation.honors.

in. 1946-47.. Local. games.were. played. on. outdoor.rinks.after.school..

In. the. 1950s,. an. or-ganization. was. formed.in. South. St.. Paul. called.Kids,. Inc.. The. purpose.was. to. raise. money. for.youth. hockey. since. nei-ther. the. School. District.nor. the. City’s. Parks. and.Recreation. Department.had. any. provision. to. ex-pand. hockey. opportuni-ties.. Collection. banks. for.a.penny.drive.were.placed.in. area. businesses,. and.the. group. began. to. raise.funds.

Paul. Bartl. of. South. St..Paul. recalls. that. his. dad,.Joe. Bartl,. was. a. big. sup-porter. of. youth. sports,.especially. hockey.. Some-times. referred. to. in. the.press. as. the. founder. of.Wakota. Arena,. Joe. Bartl.took. a. couple. of. other.interested. hockey. sup-porters. to. Des. Moines,.Iowa.to.a.look.at.a.hockey.arena.. Convinced. that.South. St.. Paul. needed. to.move.forward.with.build-

ing. plans,. Joe. and. other.business. owners. set. up. a.program. to. sell. shares. in.a. new. arena.. They. orga-nized.Wakota.Arena,.Inc.,.on. March. 17,. 1961,. and.began. selling. shares. for.$1..Anton.Roszak.provid-ed. the. land.on.6th.Street.South. below. Villaume.Street. in. exchange. for.$25,000. worth. of. shares,.according. to. his. nephew,.Tony. Roszak.. The. new.arena. cost. $550,000. and.opened.in.October.1962..

Originally. known. as.The. Cow. Palace,. the.new. venue. was. officially.named. Wakota. Arena. in.1963.. Joe. Bartl. worked.with. Minnesota. hockey.legend. Walter. Bush. to.establish. a. new. semi-pro.team.known.as. the.South.St.. Paul. Steers..The. team.remained. in. existence.from. 1962-1966,. with.Wakota. as. their. home.ice.. In. 1967,. the. Minne-sota-Ontario. league,. or.the. Canadian. American.Hockey. League. (Can-Am.for. short),. was. formed..

This. league. eventually.evolved. into. the.Midwest.Junior. Hockey. League.(MJHL).in.late.1972.after.the.Can-Am.league.ceased.operations..

The. MJHL. started.league. play. with. six. new.teams. in. 1973,. one. of.which. was. the. newly.formed. St.. Paul. Vulcans,.which. evolved. from. the.Junior. Stars. Can-Am.team..One.of.the.Vulcans’.home.venues.was.Wakota.Arena.. They. moved. to.Bloomington.in.2000.and.eventually. to. Kearney,.Neb.. After. the. Vulcans’.departure,. Wakota. be-came. home. to. the. South.Suburban.Steers.under.lo-

cal.owner.Len.Mancowski.and.General.Manager.Jim.Martin.. They. operated.the.team.until. it.was.sold.and. moved. to. Blooming-ton. to. become. the. Twin.Cities.Northern.Lights.

In. addition. to. these.semi-pro. leagues,. Wako-ta. has. served. as. the. high.school. hockey. venue. for.South.St..Paul,.St..Thom-as,.Simley.and.Henry.Sib-ley. High. Schools.. In. the.early. 1990s,. a. new. sport.was.added.to.the.ice.sheet.at.Wakota. when. Ringette.became. a. popular. girls.sport. at. all. grade. levels..However,. it. wasn’t. long.before. the. Ringette. play-ers.evolved. into. the.Min-

nesota. State. High. School.Girls.Hockey.League. and.left. Ringette. behind. for.ice. hockey.. Through. the.years,. Wakota. Arena. has.also. been. home. to. figure.skating.classes.and.public.skating.sessions..

Today,. the. City’s. Parks.and. Recreation. Depart-ment. provides. six. out-door.public.skating.rinks:..Bromley,.Harmon,. Jeffer-son,. Lorraine,. Seidl’s. and.Spruce.. Four. have. warm-ing. houses. and. four. have.hockey.rinks.where.aspir-ing. hockey. stars. of. both.genders. can. dream. of.making.it.to.the.big.time..

Your community news and information sourceH istory

Remembering the Cow Palace

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The South St. Paul Municipal Band showed up for the dedication of this new skating rink in the 1930s. The rink was located on the west side of Ninth Avenue North at Fourth Street North, across the street from the current Lincoln Center. This photo is taken looking north-west. Only a few homes can be seen on the hills behind the rink. The property was opened to residential development in 1953.