Children's Safety Centers
to move
National Headquarters and Visitation Center to Dayton's Bluff
Thanks to the city of St. Paul's STAR grant program,
the Bremer Foundation,
Nordan Builders and support from the local community, Children's Safety
Centers (CSC), a provider of supervised visitation and safe exchange,
will
call 281 Maria Avenue home for its national headquarters and supervised
visitation and safe center. CSC officially began operating at this site
October 27th. CSC provides services for children and families who have
had histories of abuse. It is CSC's mission to provide safe haven for
children
during parental visitation.
"We are pleased to welcome the new national headquarters
of the Children's Safety Centers to St. Paul's east side," said St.
Paul
mayor Norm Coleman. "Those of us in this community know how precious
children
are.. And know that there is no greater act than protecting and
nurturing
our future generations. We are proud to support CSC and applaud their
efforts
to protect children and their families." This new center will be an
addition
to 9 other centers CSC currently operates in Rush City, Cambridge,
North
Branch, Forest Lake, Columbia Heights, Woodbury, Lakeville, Burnsville
and Amery, Wisconsin.
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The new home of the Children's Safety Center at 281
Maria Avenue.
Pictured from left to right: Teri McLaughlin, Executive Director
Children's
Safety Centers; Spencer Finseth, Nordan Builders; Julie Benick,
President
of the Dayton's Bluff District 4 Community Council.
"When the community council
decided to move its offices
to a smaller space, there was concern about what would happen at 281
Maria-I
was happy to learn that Children's Safety Centers was interested," said
Julie Benick, president of the Dayton's Bluff Community Council.
'Dayton's
bluff didn't need a vacant building or a tenant that could have
negative
impact-CSC solved both those issues. The work that CSC does is so very
important to keep kids and families safe. I welcome them to the
Bluff"
In 1999, CSC provided over 2000 visits and 1000
exchanges
for over 800 families in the metro area. The key component to their
successful
family visits is volunteers.
CSC relies greatly on volunteers for they truly are the
frontline service providers of the organization serving as family visit
monitors. If you are interested in becoming a CSC volunteer or
supporting
the organization, please call (651) 748-1052.
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Transforming the East 7th
Streetscape
The East 7th Streetseape public improvements are nearing completion.
The aging trolley poles have been removed, new bases for ornamental
lighting
have been constructed, openings for trees have been cut into the
sidewalks,
the concrete repaired and trees planted. Yet to come will be the
permanent
light poles such as those now installed on the East 7th bridge over
Swede
Hollow and decorative bus shelters at select locations.
A concrete center island was installed at the intersection
of 7th and Arcade as a permanent location for signing that has until
now
been located on a barricade placed in the street. This signing directs
traffic destined for 1-94 to use 7th Street to Mounds Boulevard, as
access
via 6th Street is not possible. A new left turn lane has been installed
at 7th and Mounds to aid traffic flow from westbound 7th towards the
freeway.
Signal work must be done to align the indicators with the new lane
arrangement.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
As the author of several of Minnesota's key crime
prevention
laws over the past decade, I want to recognize and thank Representative
Steve Trimble for his hard work and steadfast support of important
public
safety initiatives. Whether it was the Statewide Gang Strike Force,
tougher
penalties for sex offenders, the construction of the new Bureau of
Criminal
Apprehension on the eastside, or community notification when sex
offenders
move into our neighborhoods, Steve has been a champion for us and our
families.
Now we have the opportunity to elect Steve Trimble to
the Ramsey county Board. Because county government is where many of our
laws are interpreted, implemented and enforced, Steve' knowledge,
experience
and commitment to safe neighborhoods will prove invaluable. Steve is
uniquely
qualified to represent us on the Board, and I hope that you will join
me
in voting for him on November 7.
Sincerely,
Randy Kelly, state Senator
Dear Editor:
I found the article last month about the Hamm's Grain
Elevators very interesting. Since then, I read an article in City
Business,
September 29, 2000, about the grain elevator on Shepherd Road which
will
be incorporated into the new Upper Landing development. The elevator
was
built in the 1930's by Harvest States Cooperative and is on the
National
Register of Historic Places. I am wondering if the Hamm's Grain
Elevators
could be incorporated into the redevelopment of the Phalen
corridor.
Sincerely,
John Anderson
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Caroline's Corner
It's a small world, after all
An Interview with Father Thomas Pingatore, St.
John's
Catholic Church
by Caroline Snyder
Reverend Thomas Pingatore and I discovered this as we sat
together in
the rectory office at St. John’s Catholic Church in Dayton’s
Bluff.
Reminiscing about North Minneapolis where he was born and raised and
Robbinsdale
where I was born and raised, we discovered that we were neighbors back
in the 1940s and 50s. Living on the borderline between the two
communities,
we are today, 55 years later, just getting to know each other.
With a sparkle in his eyes and a
youthfulness in his demeanor,
he told me how his father Frank came to this country at the age of 15
from
the Calabria region in Italy. He sent for his sweetheart in
Italy when he was 21. The couple was married at St. Joseph’s
Church
and a new life began for the Pingatore’s on the North Side of
Minneapolis.
His father originally owned a grocery store in the Plymouth and
Washington
Avenue area. Later he sold the store and went to work for the
city
maintenance department. He and his wife raised five sons. They worked
and
sacrificed so that each son could attend Catholic schools and in Father
Pingatore’s case enter into the priesthood.
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Father Thomas Pingatore |
Father Pingatore attended Ascension school and began preparing
for the priesthood in the elementary grades. When Father made his
decision to enter the priesthood in the 8th grade he told a total of 5
Irish priests at Ascension “he wanted to become a priest.” In
that
day and age it was common to have several priests at a parish.
After finishing Ascension school he went on to Nazareth
Hall
at Lake Johanna in Shoreview to study religion and theology.
Being
in boarding school all during this period of time was normal procedure
for anyone entering the St. Paul Major Seminary. After 13 years
of
preparation he was ordained as a priest in October of 1944. Today
the time spent in preparation for the priesthood is about half of that.
“Little Italy” on the East Side became home in 1948 when
Father Pingatore was made the first pastor of St. Ambrose Mission
Church
on Payne Avenue. St. Ambrose, with a predominantly Italian
congregation, became an official parish in 1954 after being a mission
church
for many years. Father was its pastor until 1998 when it
was
closed. Some of its parishioners then chose to become members of St.
John’s
in the Dayton’s Bluff area. St. John’s today has around 500
families.
In 1948 when St. Ambrose parish was in need of some
athletic
equipment, Father Pingatore and Nick Mancini (owner of Mancini’s
Restaurant)
visited every bar on West 7th Street to ask for
contributions.
When Father was asked what he was doing in a bar, Father replied to
them
– “If I’m not allowed in here then certainly you are not!”
Needless
to say, they did receive enough contributions to purchase the
equipment.
In keeping with his generosity and concern for others, Father Pingatore
and St. Ambrose raised $80,000 for victims of the 1981 earthquake that
hit Italy. In 1983 when he revisited Naples in the hardest hit
area,
the ruins were still evident and people were still struggling to put
their
lives back together.
Father has made eight visits to his parent’s homeland
in Italy. He traced his father’s ancestry during his first
visit.
It began at the “Il Bar” in the city of Settingiano. When
entering
the premises he inquired of the proprietor if he knew of any
Pingatore’s
in the neighborhood. He told Father “just a minute” and in 20
minutes
brought back 12 Pingatore’s and the joyful reunion began.
In Italy you will always have “a good meal” he
relates.
Your pasta is never cooked beforehand. It is cooked while you
wait.
It may take a little while longer but the wait is worth the extra
time.
Father’s favorite is veal scallopini and lasagna. Wine, of
course,
is very much a part of the meal. “Always order the wine of the
region
you are visiting. The people in Italy know how to savor their
wine
and drink in moderation. It is a complement to the meal and is
seldom
overindulged. The meal itself is a celebration of family and
friends
and children are allowed to partake in a ‘taste of the wine’ at a young
age.”
On June 23rd, Pope Pius IX and Pope John XXIII were
beatified
(prior to sainthood). I asked Father what his opinion was of our
present pope, Pope John Paul II. He admires the Pope greatly for
his commitment to the return of the ideology of Christian social life
and
the efforts he made personally towards the inevitable collapse of
Communism.
He relates his story of a priest from Assumption
Church hearing confessions. There were two lines that had formed
in front of the confessionals, one for each priest. There was an
eerie silence in the church when out of one of the confessionals came a
loud exclamation of “And you did what????!” The line in
front
of that confessional quickly dissipated.
Father has come full circle, beginning his ministry as
an assistant at St. John’s in 1945 and today is its full time
pastor.
I have connected with a friend from the “old neighborhood.” Our
paths
have crossed and I for one am grateful for this encounter. It
really
is “a small world after all.” |
Adult Acting Classes in
Dayton’s
Bluff
An ongoing acting class for adults is being held at
theDayton’s Bluff
Recreation Center Theatre. "Acting for Adults" will be held
on
Tuesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 p.m. It will be taught by Matthew
Vaky.
Vaky, former member of the Guthrie Acting company, is
the newly appointed artistic director of the Dayton’s Bluff
Theater.
In addition to this artistic director duties, Vaky also teaches at the
Guthrie and at City Academy. His theater credits include acting
and
directing at the Illusion Theatre, The Mixed Blood, SteppingStone
Theatre,
The Playwright’s Center, The Bryant Lake Bowl, the Minnesota Fringe,
and
the Guthrie. He directed the improv comedy hits Yard Sale and
Yard
Sale 2000 which will be remounted at the Bryant Lake Bowl in
October.
His most current project is directing a play, Dvorak Discovery, for the
Minnesota Orchestra which will open at Carnegie Hall in New York on
October
27. He will also be performing his one-man play, The Bench Play,
at the Acadia Theatre in Minneapolis.
The class is now accepting new members. Please attend
one of the next two classes on Tuesday November 7 or Tuesday
November
14 to join in the fun. The classes will explore acting, improvisation,
and script creation. Public showings will be held prior to a
production
in February. No experience is necessary—just a desire to learn,
have
a good time, and act for the community. Call Dayton’s Bluff
Recreation
Center for more details at 651.793.3885.
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