The annual Sacred Heart Fall Festival returns this year for a weekend of food, fun and prizes. Come for all of your favorite activities - bingo, raffles and drawings, the Second Hand Store, children's games, and much more. The Festival will take place on Saturday, September 9 from 5:30 to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 10 from 11:00 am. to 5:00 p.m.
   This year The Johnny Owen Swing Band makes an appearance on Saturday night, so bring your dancing shoes! We will also have a new food booth this year with food from the Philippines. 
   Sacred Heart Church is located at Sixth and Arcade Streets. Come, join in the fun-we'll be looking for you! 

First Lutheran Church Hosts 3rd Annual 
Music on the Blacktop Event 

  On Friday, August 25, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., please join us for the 3rd Annual Music on the Blacktop at First Lutheran Church located at 8th Street and Maria. 
  The event will be held on the church parking lot and will feature live music, free refreshments, and games for children. All residents of the Dayton's Bluff and Swede Hollow community are encouraged to attend. Please bring your lawn chairs. 
   In case of rain, the event will be held in First Lutheran's Fellowship Hall. For more information, contact Kathy Boxmeyer at 651-776- 8961. 

Letters to the Editor 

Dear Editor: 
   As ground is broken for the new BCA Headquarters and Criminal Laboratory, there is a person who should be singled out for his incredible leadership and vision on this project over the past three years-State Senator Randy Kelly. This state of the art enforcement facility will help improve public safety in many ways. Among other improvements The new BCA Headquarters will use technology to collect and analyze DNA evidence from around the state to solve crimes, enhance community safety by tracking registered sex offenders, and conduct over 100,000 background checks on prospective daycare providers, teachers, school bus drivers, apartment building managers, security guards and peace officers. 
   Randy Kelly's leadership to put the safety of Minnesotans first is not limited to the establishment of this facility. For instance, during the 2000 session Senator Kelly worked tirelessly to enact 'Katie's Law," which will create an integrated Criminal Justice Information System that will provide uniform and accurate distribution of information regarding criminal activity to the state law enforcement community. 
   Senator Kelly's leadership also achieved success in increasing the penalties for sex offenders. In combating juvenile prostitution, Senator Kelly succeeded in enacting a two-fold approach--expanding the availability of shelters for at-risk youth as well as increasing the penalties for pimps. 
   Minnesotans should be proud that they have a public servant and leader like Randy Kelly standing guard. True leadership comes from a combination of vision, compassion, and tenacity in achieving one's goals: the attributes Randy Kelly has given to serve the citizens of Minnesota. 

Very truly yours, 
Mike Hatch 
Attorney General 

Attention All Residents: Help Prevent Crime 

Police cars servicing the Dayton's Bluff Community are now equipped with cell phones to help expedite calls from residents who see incidents which may be of emergency nature to report to the police in the,immediate vicinity. The police cell phone numbers are visible on the cars themselves. This East Side.pilot project is sponsored by US West. If you see a police car with the cell phone listed on the car, please utilize this service to help prevent crimes "on the spot." 

Attention Entrepreneurs!

Have you ever wanted to start your own business? Dayton's Bluff District 4 Community Council is offering the Neighborhood Micro-Entrepreneur training and loan program. This program helps start up and young micro- businesses in the Dayton's Bluff area. Class training lasts approximately 16 weeks and includes operations management, marketing, financial management, and preparing a business plan. Some of the businesses that people have started include graphics, photography, restoration of wood furniture and works of art, custom floral design for weddings and events, and exterior, and interior painting. The next session will start in the fall and class size is limited. Please call Karin at 772-2075 for an application. 

Attention Dayton's Bluff Landlords! 

The Saint Paul Association of Responsible Landlords (SPARL) will be providing an educational program for landlords in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. The five 3-hour sessions will be July 19 and 26 and August 2, 9, and 16 at Dayton's Bluff Community Council's new office at 798 East 7th Street from 6:30-9:30 p.m. We invite anyone interested in rental property ownership and management. Each session is $10 ($50 for SPARL members, or $95 for SPARL membership fee and classes). Call SPARL for more information and registration at 651-647- 6810 or Dayton's Bluff Community Council at 651-772-2075. 

Mediators Wanted

Would you like to learn a new and valuable skill that will help you personally in getting and keeping a job and in your relationships and will also benefit the Dayton's Bluff Community9 Dayton's Bluff Community Council, together with the expertise and experience of the Dispute Resolution Center, will be offering a 3-session mediation training for landlords, tenants and homeowners to help resolve disputes related to housing. You will learn communication and negotiation techniques and the processes of mediation using hands-on exercises and role playing. 

The Portage for Youth
   by Raeann Ruth, Executive Director

   The Portage for Youth is an after-school and summer enrichment center for young women ages 8-15 from the Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood. The Portage opened its doors in 1996 and since then, has provided year-round, after-school enrichment activities for young women.  Residing in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul, the project is designed to provide young women with alternatives to criminal activity, drug use, dropping out of school, truancy and teen pregnancy.
   All Portage programs are designed to enhance the educational achievement of young women as well, as their positive impact on society, their families and peers.  The programs developed by the Portage for Youth focus on the potential and ability of young women to make positive and meaningful contribution to society.  Young women are taught useful social, artistic and creative and academic skills as part of the project and also are encouraged to enhance current projects through their own incentives and to create new programs.  The programs have been specifically designed to address critical thinking, problem solving and critical analysis skills through a variety of applied activities -- skills that form the basis for all academic, employment and social achievement.
   In working with young women over the past six years, the Portage staff and Board of Directors, have found that that it is essential, that there is someone or something to "grab on to", as young women travel through youth.  Whether it is an aunt, a parent of a sibling, or a place like the Portage, young women need stable sources during adolescence.  It is especially important that girls have a place where they are safe to be girls:  safe from harassment, safe from the barrage of household duties many are required to do and safe from negative social stereotypes.  At the Portage, GIRLS RULE in all the best ways: they make decisions, create projects and work together on initiatives they choose and enjoy. 
Programs the Portage Offers
   The Portage for Youth offers a wide variety of activities and programs to choose from, such as the:
*Literacy Program - a program to increase literacy, communication and computer literacy skills through one-to-one literacy tutoring, special language arts programming, computer and graphic design training.
*Health and Nutrition - a program to increase health, nutritional knowledge, garden skills and marketing knowledge through community gardening and cooking programs.
*Women’s Studies - a program to promote formal and informal discussions of issues affecting young women, i.e. drugs, crime, abuse, harassment, pregnancy, gangs, "parenting" younger siblings, values and achievement.
*Athletic, recreational, curricular and leisure activities include, but are not limited to:
*piano lessons, jazz dance, karate, volleyball, swimming lessons, Girl Scouts, 4-H, photography, art classes, creative writing.
*The Incentive Program - provides special incentives for participation, positive behavior and academic achievement.  Primarily this includes the Portage camp at Bay Lake on a 70-acre island, during the summer months.
*English as a Second Language Classes - these Tuesday and Thursday evening classes are provided to mothers, grandmothers and other neighborhood women through the Minnesota Literacy Council and Hmong American Partnership, Mother and Daughter Program.  
*Karate Classes - Portage participants are taught basic Karate, with a chance to move ahead in rank.  Presently, many of our participants are working on achieving their green belts.
*Jagged Innocence - is a singing group, made up of 5 young Hmong girls, who have written, recorded and pressed their first single CD, called "Someday".  They have performed at the Capital City New Year's Eve Concert and also at the 10th Annual Conference on Adolescent Females.  They are scheduled to sing at Dayton's Bluff Summer Fest and also at the Ramsey County Fair this year.
Costs Involved and Transportation
All Portage programming is FREE of charge to young women in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood.  Participants should be close enough to walk and transportation will be provided to outside events and during the winter months.
Portage Hours
The Portage for Youth is open on a daily basis from 3 to 6, during the school year and 2 to 6 during the summer.  Camping trips are usually 4 to 5 day trips and are in addition to daily programming.
What Next?
It's up to you to let your daughter(s) know about the Portage programs.  Talk to them and see if they are interested.  And girls, if you are reading this article and would like to become a member of the Portage for Youth, talk to your parents and have them give us a call.
   If you would like more information on the Portage and have access to the internet, please check out our website at www.theportage.com, give us a call at 651-772-8674 and arrange to come and tour the Portage facility or complete the form and mail your registration to the Portage for Youth, 965 Fremont Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55106.  
 
Fall Round-Up Registration Form
2000-2001 School Year

I'm interested in becoming a Portage for Youth Member, where 
"GIRLS RULE" in all the best ways.
 

Name:___________________________Address:___________________________

City:____________ State:____________Zip Code:________________

Telephone Number:_________________________

SEE YOU IN THE FALL!

Metro State Offers Over 200 
Classes at St. Paul Campus 

   Continuing its commitment to St. Paul's East Side neighborhood, Metropolitan State University offers more than 200 classes this fall at its St. Paul Campus located at 700 E. Seventh Street. 
   Courses are offered in a variety of academic disciplines including accounting, college algebra, computer literacy, communication, financial management, humanities, human services, international business, literature, marketing, mathematics, microcomputer applications, nursing, philosophy, psychology, social work, statistics and writing. 
   Registration continues for new and continuing education students with fall semester classes beginning August 28 and ending December 16. 
   A Fall 2000 Class Schedule can be picked up at Metro.State's St. Paul Campus, 700 E. Seventh Street; Midway Center, 1450 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul; or Minneapolis Campus, 730 Hennepin Avenue. For more information, call 651-772-7600, 612-341-7250 or 651-772-7687 (TTY). 
   Metro State offers evening, weekend and daytime courses, providing quality education to individuals seeking career advancement or personal and professional growth. The university accommodates the needs of both part-time and full-time students including adults returning to higher education or recent high school graduates.  
   Metropolitan State University, one of seven Minnesota state universities, serves approximately 7,500 students in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It offers quality programs leading to baccalaureate degrees and graduate degrees. 

Upcoming Eastside Family Center Events

   The Eastside Family Center sponsors many fun, educational and support activities for all ages. We are located at 1165 Arcade Street in the Face to Face building. For more information, call Joan at 651-793-3800. 
*   Picnic-Saturday, August 5    
*   Bumper Bowling-Saturday, August 26 10-12 noon at Hillerest Bowl, 1560 White Bear Avenue. Child throws first ball and parent must pick-up what is left. Must RSVP to Joan at 651-793-3800 by Friday, August 25 (no non-registered families allowed to participate) 

Come join the fun! 

Margaret Community Recreation Center Events 

   The year 2000 summer program is under way with many activities for all ages. Stop by the office at 1109 Margaret Street or call 651-298-5719 for more information. The following is just a sampling of the many fun and exciting activities going on at Margaret 
*     Youth football and soccer; registration July 24-August 4. 
*     Margaret Senior Club meets every Tuesday, 9 am-1 pm for cards, darts, field trips, Etc. 
*     2000 Summer Reads Program, 1-3 pm Mondays and Wednesdays thru Aug. 9th. 
*     Urban Tennis Program: All youth ages 7-18 are invited to become involved in tennis lessons, drills, and match play. 
*    Margaret Open Gym: Time varies monthly and is divided by age. 
*    Free Play: Many games and equipment may be checked out during regular building hours.