Community Connections

To enter, please visit: www.stpaul.gov/poetry before March 28, 2010.

Put together your poems! It's time for the Annual Saint Paul Sidewalk Poetry Contest to begin. The contest, in partnership with Public Art Saint Paul, will accept poetry submissions from Saint Paul residents through the month of March.  Winners will then have their work stamped into city sidewalks as part of Saint Paul Public Works sidewalk replacement program!

To date the city has installed over 261 poetry panels around the city of 26 poems within the collection. Because poems are stamped into sidewalk panels, poems are limited to 250 character spaces.

Creative financing is winning recipe for Saint Paul bakery

By Kristal Leebrick, TC Daily Planet
February 04, 2010

Katie Novotny and husband Ebba Benti will celebrate the re-opening of the Saint Paul Classic Cookie Co. next weekend at its new location, 2386 Territorial Road in Saint Paul.

The February 6 grand opening comes nearly a year after she shuttered her downtown spot in the Alliance Bank Center and began looking for a more affordable space to re-open the bakery business that she took over from her mother three and a half years ago.

"Between the decline of 50 percent of the foot traffic and skyrocketing rent, I couldn't make it work" at the downtown space, she says. They found their new location in June, but it took months of work to bring the building up to code, get the equipment they needed and tap into some creative funding to accomplish it all.

Please join us on Saturday, February 27th for the annual St. Anthony Park Progressive Dinner.  It’s a great opportunity to meet your neighbors, enjoy a special meal, and have great conversations!  Come alone or come with a friend! Join us at the Methodist Church at Como and Hillside for appetizers, and receive your schedule for the evening.  Find the registration form here.

At the St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church (Como and Hillside)

All current and aspiring block captains, leaders and coordinators are invited to a gathering of Blockheads to share ideas and information about formal and informal block groups in St. Anthony Park.  Todd Seabury-Kolod, of Mac Groveland organizing fame, will lead a discussion on organizing your block for a single trash hauler.  We will also talk with an experienced participant from Paint the Pavement, a program that promotes community building and “placemaking” through creating neighborhood art.  You can look forward to dinner from a neighborhood business, plus lots of good company from the Park.  Contact Renee to sign up.

Due to the reduction in Local Government Aid to the City of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Public Library has been asked to reduce its 2010 operating budget by $889,240, which is 4.8 percent.  You can read more about the changes, which include reduction of hours and a 15% reduction in the collection budget, at http://www.sppl.org/news/2009/2010-budget-fast-facts.pdf.  At St. Anthony Park Library, hours are proposed to be reduced from 63 total hours per week to 48.5.  The proposal includes closing SAP on Sundays, opening at noon instead of 10am Mon and Wed, closing at 8pm Mon-Wed, and 5:30pm Thurs-Sat.

On Wednesday, January 6, 5:30 pm, the City Council will hold a public hearing on the qualifications and the examining committee regarding the new police chief selection process. There is also a city web page on the selection process at  http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=3595. Included on the web page is a flyer  announcing 2 community meetings in late February.

Are there sidewalks in your neighborhood that need to be shoveled?  The St. Anthony Park Community Council has door-hangers that act as a friendly reminder for neighbors to shovel within 24 hours after a snow fall.   The free doorhangers are available for pickup by calling 651-649-5992.

Any senior or person with disabilities in SAP can use the Senior Chore Service to find someone to shovel their walks: 651-649-5984.

The Annual Shop Home for the Holidays celebration kick-off will be this Saturday, December 5 from 9:30-5pm. The schedule of events includes our artisan village, Santa and reindeer rides at the bank, Micawber's book sale fundraiser for the elementary school, a wine-tasting at the little wine shoppe and more! Check the Bugle for more information or visit www.sapfoundation.org for a full schedule of the day's events.

We look forward to seeing you at our annual open studio and sale. Along with the great art works in glass, pottery, painting, sculpture, and crafts. There is a first floor gallery and new artists for you to enjoy!

HOURS: Friday Nov. 20, 2009 - noon to 9 pm
Saturday Nov. 21, 2009 - 10 to 7 pm
LOCATION: 2402 University Ave. St. Paul, MN 55114
DIRECTIONS: 2 blocks east of highway 280 on University Ave. Biggest building on south side.
PARKING: plenty of on street parking and metered parking
INFO: 651-644-4144

Every year, the district councils are asked to recommend three neighbors who have been doing outstanding work on behalf of their neighborhood. We are looking for nominations for St. Anthony Park.  Those nominated and chosen for the Honor Roll attend a dinner on their behalf along with three honorees from each of the other 16 district councils.  It's a nice event and a chance to hear about what other district councils are doing.

These are some of the neighbors we have honored over the years for their outstanding contributions to the neighborhood.

For $15, you can register your sale and be included on the map that will be distributed at Speedy Market, Hamdpen Park Co-op and Craig's List.  The registration form with the fee is due by Friday, Sept 11 at the SAPCC office, 890 Cromwell. A garage sale sign will be delivered, posted and picked up at your address.  Ads will be placed in the Pioneer Press, Park Bugle, Start Tribune and Craig's List.  For more information, call Rich Nelson at 651-641-1172.

7:00 PM at the South St. Anthony Park Rec Center

A chance to hear and talk about potential new partners and uses for the Rec Center.

St. Paul Park and Rec is going to lease the South St. Anthony Park Rec Center Joy of the People - a St. Paul soccer group. Parks and Rec will discontinue some of it's programming.  A date for the transition has not been set yet.

A new service called Nixle (http://www.nixle.com) is available which sends police alerts to your email or phone from the St. Paul Police Department. You can sign up for your home address (or as many locations as you want - home, office, daycare....).  When something rises to the level that the police deem important, they will send out an alert. You can also go to the Nixle website and see all the alerts for St. Paul or the Metro Area.  (You have to click on St. Paul on the home page to just see St. Paul.) Register at www.Nixle.com.