Enjoy autumn with a stroll through new and old homes in St. Anthony Park.  Visit homes that have adapted quirky or outdated floorplans to fit modern needs, while keeping true to the character of the house and neighborhood. As this year's primary fundraiser, proceeds support the work of the District 12 St. Anthony Park Community Council including citizen participation, chore services for senior citizens, crime prevention, recycling, traffic calming initiatives, and planning.

Gas and electric bills too high? The Neighborhood Energy Connection and Xcel Energy bring energy efficiency to your door with the Home Energy Squad, a skilled crew that will make your home more comfortable and reduce your utility bills in one easy visit.

This summer, Capitol Region Watershed District is focused on helping residents prevent water pollution by redirecting garage gutter downspouts to lawn or garden areas instead of hard surfaces like alleys, sidewalks, and driveways.

We’ll do the redirection work for CRWD residents for free, or residents may do the work themselves and be reimbursed for supply costs.

Learn more at www.stopraindrain.org, or to schedule an appointment, call Elizabeth at 651-644-8888.

The MN Renewable Energy Society is creating a program to increase the number of solar hot water installations in the Twin Cities. It is a program based on the idea of receiving deep discounts through bulk purchasing. This is a great time to get a solar hot water installed because there also still State Rebates and the 30% Federal Tax Credit. We will be offering subsidized solar site assessments to qualifying residents. Please go to www.makeminesolar.org to fill out the application of interest.

Collectivist Thinking is an Individual Responsibility

When conservatives toss around "individual responsibility," what they typically mean is: "If you're in a tough spot, don't expect me or the government to help you out." But Minnesotans across the state demonstrate true individual responsibility when they recognize the interconnectedness of our society and work to promote a sustainable world.

The St. Anthony Park Community Council submitted the Como 2030 small area plan to the city and we are waiting for approval.

Read the plan (pdf)

The Bush Artist Program has introduced its 2010 Bush Artist Fellows. Each of the 15 fellows, chosen from a competitive field of more than 500 applicants, will receive a total of $50,000 in unrestricted funds and professional development support.  Three St. Anthony Park artists received the grants: John Whitehead, who lives in North SAP and works out of 2402 University, Dean Lucker who also has a studio in the 2402 building, and Michael Kareken, whose studio is in the Dow building in South SAP. 

You might have noticed some new signs we've put up financed by the University of Minnesota Good Neighbor Fund. The signs will help people easily find and become aware of the Transitway. We hope it assists those who are already bicycing with finding the safest route.  Many new or infrequent bicyclists struggle to locate the Transitway or are simply unaware of the safer option. Second, increasing the visibility of the Transitway will encourage commuters who currently travel by car to consider bicycling--reducing the use of cars, reducing air pollution and congestion and improving the quality of life for neighbors.

EnergySmartsPay.com is a free online tool for homeowners, landlords
and renters to quickly locate energy assistance and conservation
programs they may be qualified for based on answering a few simple
questions. Where it pays to be energy smart!

For the lastest information and newsletter about Emerald Ash Borer which threatens all the ash trees in our neighborhood, check out the MN Dept. of Agriculture website's page on the subject.

The Line Media has a great video with Jay Walljasper talking about St. Anthony Park and what makes it a great neighborhood:  "Former editor of Utne Reader, author of The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Placemaking (New Society Publishers/Project for Public Spaces) and of the forthcoming What We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons, Jay Walljasper likes to stroll, explore, lounge at cafe tables, chill on park benches, meet friends, window-shop, and just generally enjoy the micro-environments called neighborhoods in the world's cities. He's got a trained eye for the little things that make neighborhoods great, and a sense of the history that lies behind those details. One of his favorite Twin Cities neighborhoods is St. Anthony Park, in western St. Paul.

A coalition of state and local organizations are working to integrate renewable and efficient energy sources along University Avenue and to possibly capture the waste heat from Rock Tenn to heat area buildings.  Check out the article in Business and Commerce about it. 

By Laura Phillips-Mao, PhD Candidate in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota and SAP resident
As you’re working in your yards this spring, keep an eye out for garlic mustard—a new invasive plant moving into the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood.  Originally from Europe, garlic mustard is spreading rapidly through woodlands across much of North America.  In addition to displacing native plants, garlic mustard changes woodland ecosystems by altering nutrient levels in soils and releasing chemicals that are toxic to beneficial soil fungi, resulting in reduced tree seedling growth. (seedling at right)

Have you noticed fewer fireflies (lightening bugs) in recent years? These amazing winged beetles make summer nights special with their use of light (bioluminescence) with which they communicate and attract mates.  However, thoughout the world, these insects seem to be disappearing - note this article from the Washington Post. It's unknown why, but it may have to do with loss of habitat through development, as well as light pollution.

The www.firefly.org web site provides a lot of interesting information about fireflies and their predicament, including tips for how to help, such as: