On Saturday, September 13, 2003 the Dayton’s Bluff Annual Neighborhood Clean Up will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon in a new location, Ray Anderson & Sons north of East 7th Street at the end of Atlantic.  It’s time to clean up your yards and homes and get ready for the clean up.  Volunteers are needed to help with the clean up.  Call Karin at 651-772-2075 to volunteer or for more information. 
   DO NOT BRING APPLIANCES TO THE CLEAN UP.  On Monday, September 15, 2003 J.R.’S Appliance Disposal will be doing a special curb side appliance pick up in Dayton’s Bluff.  The cost is $25.00 for one appliance, plus $10.00 for each additional appliance and an additional $10.00 for each air conditioner ($35.00).  All you have to do is call J.R.’S and sign up for this special pick up.  They will let you know the cost for your appliances.  Then have your old appliances on the curb on September 16th.  Call Joan at J.R.’s 651-454-9215. 

Pov Khi Nyiab

   Lub cuaj hli vam tim 13 no peb yuav muaj thoo khi nyiab rau cov niam txiv pej xeem coj khi nyiab tuaj pov tau.  Lub sij haum qhib tuaj pov khoom no yog pib thaum 9 teev mus txog rau 12 teev.  Qhov chaw pov khi nyiab no yuav nyob rau ntawm txoj kev East Seventh Street thiab txoj kev Atlantic nyob rau ntawm zos Dayton's Bluff.  Qha nej tej khoom ua tsis yuav lawm los yog tej yam khoom ua siv tsis tau lawm tuaj.  Nej kev koom tes no yuav pab peb lub zos Dayton's Bluff nyob huv si.  Tsis tas li ntawm ob vam tim twg thov nej muab nej tej ntaub ntawv los yog khi nyiab ua recycle tau tso rau ntawm ntug kev txua txua hnub ob los yog hnub tuesday thaum sawm ntxov rau lawv tuaj thau.  Ua tsaug.

Summer in Dayton's Bluff
 

One of the many National Night Out events held on August 5th moved into the street to take advantage of the fantastic view of the Saint Paul skyline available from sections of Dayton’s Bluff.  Photo by Nachee Lee

Clowns, kids, food and a fire engine made for a perfect evening at another National Night Out party. Over 600 people attended various events that night

The 654 Beech Margaret Block Club held a garden tour in their area on July 29th. Six beautiful gardens were visited.  Photo by Karin DuPaul

Large earthmoving equipment rearranged the dirt at the old Johnson Bros. site prior to construction of Johnson Parkway Place.  Photo by Greg Cosimini

Children's Safety Centers

   Children's Safety Centers, located at 281 Maria, was founded out of the personal need of its founding director. As a mother and a protector, she had no option but to leave her abusive husband when he attacked their 6 year-old son with a two by four. With four children in tow, and a court order to provide visitation for the father, she felt trapped. She recognized her children's love, desire and need to see their father, but her focus had to be on their safety first and foremost.
   While living in a women's shelter, she began to develop the concept of a supervised visitation and safe exchange center; a place that would allow children and parents to develop safe, healthy and happy memories, without the fear of abuse, neglect or maltreatment. 
   So, in 1993 the first Children's Safety Center opened its doors, serving 24 families. Today, through the belief of communities, volunteers, and funders, Children's Safety Centers has seen tremendous growth. In 1999, Children's Safety Centers served over 800 families and 700 children by providing 2,054 supervised visits and 1,069 safe exchanges. 
   Children's Safety Centers operates centers in Cambridge, St. Paul, and Lakeville. 
      Our mission is to provide a safe haven for children during parental visitation. We also provide services for parents seeking to rebuild a lost relationship with their child, grandparents or foster family visitations, and children that are victims of emotional abuse as a result of being witness to the domestic violence. perpetrated between parents.

Grocery Give-Away

   A Grocery Give-Away will take place on Saturday, September 20 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Mounds Park United Methodist Church, Euclid and Earl.  Free produce, dry goods and bread items will be given to anyone who can use them.  No registration or sign-up is necessary.  Sponsored by United Methodist churches on St. Paul's east side.

Dayton's Bluff Take a Hike 

    Dayton's Bluff Take a Hike meets on the first Saturday of every month at 10:30 a.m. in Indian Mounds Park at Earl Street and Mounds Blvd. Join us on September 6 for the next hike.
   We  hike from Mounds Park through Swede Hollow Park and then walk the length of the Bruce Vento Recreational Trail (formerly the Phalen Creek Recreational Trail) to its end, near Phalen Park. 
    The hike is about 6 miles with some moderately rough terrain. Near Johnson Parkway and Maryland, transportation will be available to return to Mounds Park or you may hike back if you wish. 
   Join recreational trail supporters and explore this recreational trail. The paved trail runs from East 7th Street and Payne Avenue through Swede Hollow to Phalen Park. Dayton's Bluff Take a Hike started in December of 1990 and over the years hundreds of people have attended these events.
   For more info, call 776-0550. 

Board Members Needed

   Interested in running for a seat on the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council? The Dayton’s Bluff Community council is looking for people to serve on our board of directors. This is an opportunity to work on neighborhood issues and events that will improve the quality of life in our community. The deadline for filing for the board is September 15, 2003 and the election will be held on October 20, 2003. For more information call 651-772-2075. 

"Get Credit for What You Know in Child Care" 
Workshop 

   If you wish to have your child care experience assessed for college credit, come to a free workshop on Thursday, Sept. 11, from 6-8 p.m. at Metropolitan State University's Saint Paul Campus, 700 East Seventh Street. The workshop, open to the public, is in Founders Hall, Room L116. 
   Any student with experience in caring for children as a home care provider, child care teacher, assistant teacher, aide or center director is invited to attend this workshop to learn how experience and knowledge in areas such as child development, early childhood curriculum, child health safety and nutrition can be assessed for college credit. 
  This project is supported by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services in partnership with Metropolitan State University, Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals. Through this project students pay only $25 per credit. For more information, call Bryan Nelson, prior learning and assessment coordinator, at 651-793-1358. 

Merrick Needs After School Volunteers

   Merrick Community Services is looking for volunteers to work with our after school youth program. Opportunities include arts and crafts, computer lab, Kid's Cafe food preparation and service, and more! Please call Wayne or Erin for more information at 651-771-9339.

XAIV TSA 2003

   Hnub twg yog peb ua xam xaj Miskas thiab muaj hnub nyug 18 xyoo lawm ces peb muaj cai mus xaiv tsa nom tswv.  Ib qho kev zoo rau ib tus neeg ua yog neeg xam xaj Miskas yog muaj cai xaiv tsa nom tswv.  Peb yeej paub tias kev xaiv tsa nom tswv no yog ib lub zog loj heev.  Tus neeg twg peb xaiv tsa tau lawm yuav los muab suab thiab ua peb tus thawj coj.  Tsis tas li ntawv txua txua yam nus ua yuav raug peb sawv daws.  Yog vim li no txoj kev xaiv tsa thiaj muaj nuj qhi heev rau txua txua tus neeg los yog niam txiv pej xeem. 
   Yog nej leej twg yog neeg xam xaj Miskas lawm thov nej koom tes mus pab xaiv tus neeg nej nyiam sawv los ua nej tus thawj coj.  Lub sij haum los mus xaiv tsa muaj ob zaug, ib zaug yog thaum lub 9 hli tuaj no hus ua primary, zaum ob yog thaum lub 11 hli yuav tuaj mus no. 
   Tsis tas li ntawm xwb peb hmoob twb pom tau tias ntawd peb hmoob xwb kev xaiv tsa no twb pab peb xaiv tau Mim Muas thiab Xais Thoj nkawv los ua thawj coj rau xeev misnisautas.  Xyoo tshiab no peb hmoob twb muaj xws li Tub Muas Lis, Npauj Vaj, Kab Zuag Thoj thiab Christopher Muas uas los nrog luag sib tws thiab.
   Nco ntsoo mus xaiv tsa.  Ua tsaug.

Your Community Council Needs You

  The Dayton’s Bluff District Four Community Council is a citizen’s organization designed to encourage participation in, and awareness of, the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. 
   The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council advocates for people living in the community, provides an avenue to make government aware of citizens’ concerns, and advises government concerning neighborhood issues. The Council serves to educate the public, yet depends upon an engaged public to define what is important to the community. The meetings are open to the public so community members may voice their opinions. Meetings are held on the second and the third Monday each month, and begin at 7 p.m.
   The Dayton’s Bluff District Four Community Council Board is composed of people from the neighborhood, and all adult citizens living in District Four are eligible to serve. Upon election, a member serves a two-year term on the Council Board. Elections will be held in October 2003, so people with a desire to serve the community should contact the council office for information regarding the upcoming elections.
   Some of the main things the Dayton’s Bluff District Four Community Council seeks to achieve and to maintain in our community are proper housing and education, attractive and plentiful public green space such as neighborhood parks and gardens, a healthy and diverse business community, and good recreational and artistic opportunities for neighborhood residents. 
   The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council is located at 798 East Seventh Street. Telephone 651-772-2075.   Reach us on the web at www.daytonsbluff.org. 
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   El Dayton’s Bluff District Four Community Council es una organización de ciudananos que anima la participación y el sentimiento de comunidad del vecindario de Dayton’s Bluff.
   El Dayton’s Bluff Community Council aboga por los derechos de la gente de la comunidad, da una vía de decir al gobierno los intereses de los ciudadanos e aconseja al gobierno de las cuestiones del vecindario.  El Council educa al público, sin embargo él depiende de que el público colabore activamente en la definición de lo que es importante a la comunidad.  Las reuniones son abiertas al público para que él pueda expresar sus opiniones.  Las reuniones tienen lugar los segundo y tercero lunes del mes a las 7 p.m.
   El Dayton’s Bluff District Four Community Council se compone de gente del vecindario, y todos ciudadanos adultos viviendo en District 4 tienen derecho de ser miembro.  Después de las elecciones, un miembro sirve  durante un periodo de dos años.  Las elecciones tendrán lugar en octobre 2003.  Cualquier persona que desea servir la comunidad debe ponerse en contacto con la oficina del Council para informarse de las elecciones próximas. 
   El Dayton’s Bluff Community Council se esforza por realizar adecuadas viviendas, una mejora de educación, jardines y parques públicos, un comercio mejor y más variado, y buenas oportunidades artisticas y de recreo para los vecinos. 
   El Dayton’s Bluff Community Council está en 798 E. 7th St. Teléfono: (651) 772-2075.  Internet: www.daytonsbluff.org.

An Artist Who Paints for God 

By J. Wittenberg
   "I want people to see the glory of God in His creation," Patricia Kackman says about her photography. 
   This Dayton's Bluff photographer and poet seeks out the "uniqueness in the common." She's been taking photographs for 11 years, and writing poems since she was a child.
   Patricia has captured portions of Mounds Park and the entire metro area.  Sometimes she takes her camera when she walks the dog, and often looks for recognizable images in abstract shapes: like a bird in flight from the outline of an old curled leaf, or a gallant face in the clouds. 

This is one of Patricia's many nature photographs.  Photo by Patricia Kackman.

   Ms. Kackman's photography has been displayed in craft sales, the Minnesota Valley National Refuge, and Jerabek's Coffeehouse. Her works are very affordable for the discerning buyer: $20 to $25 for framed originals. 
   She also has albums to display her work, which are matted, and can be framed upon order. Indeed, she will even strive to match works with the particular color of your interior! What more could one ask of their local artisans? Ms. Kackman has not forgotten about value and service, which is so lacking in the modern age. 
   For the future, Patricia will have her work for public viewing at the fall craft sale inside Harding High School. Her home sales for now are strictly word of mouth. 
   Ms. Kackman's next photographic muse may be the Grand Tetons this summer. "It is all dedicated to God," Pat says of her art.  “I want to bring people closer to Him. I want people to say- 'what a wonderful creator.'" 
   If you are interested in buying some of Ms. Kackman's colorful, nature-oriented works, call (651) 774-3248 to make an appointment for a viewing. 
   Alongside her photography are framed examples of her poetry, which are also for sale, to happily adorn a lonely wall. 
   I'll close by quoting one of her poems: 
"It's God's creative talent no doubt 
That warmth can cause a friendship to sprout.”

Brain Injury Association of Minnesota's Walk for Thought

   Join in a celebration of life, hope and healing at the 2nd Annual Walk for Thought at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday Sept. 27 at Phalen Park.  Registration is $20.  Proceeds from the walk will support the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota's efforts to provide hope, help and a voice for the 94,000 Minnesotans who live with a brain injury. 
   The annual incidence of brain injury is four times that of combined annual incidence of Multiple Sclerosis, Breast Cancer and HIV/AIDS.  Despite its high prevalence, brain injury remains an invisible epidemic.  For more information or registration forms, visit 
www.braininjurymn.org/WalkforThought.htm or call 612-378-2742.

Dayton’s Bluff Memories and Musings
A Short History of E. 7th Street 
Part II: Into the 20th Century

By Steve Trimble 

   At the turn of the 20th century, commercial clubs began to spring up all over the city. They were places where the business and professional leaders of the community could meet, and they became a focal point for many neighborhood activities. 

Dayton’s Bluff Commercial Club 

   The Dayton's Bluff Commercial Club was built in the early 1900s at East Seventh and Eichenwald. Its members were important boosters of the club and were proud of its recent development.

The original Dayton’s Bluff Commercial Club in 1910 (top) and in the 1920s (bottom), after being extensively remodeled in 1913.  The building still exists at 770 E. 7th St.  It is now a church.  The front entrance and balcony are gone, victims of the widening of 7th St. in the early 1930s.  Postcards courtesy of Greg Cosimini.

   In 1909 the Commercial Club published a thirty-page booklet entitled “Picturesque Dayton's Bluff.”  In it, they discussed what they called "the wonderful strides in material progress" that had been made in the area. There were photos of many of the prominent businesses and industries that lined East Seventh and the nearby homes of their owners and managers. 
   Since its founding in 1905, the booklet stated, the Dayton's Bluff Commercial Club "had quickly become the recognized mouthpiece for the most substantial interests of the community."  For the next several decades they remained the center of East Seventh decision-making, led by such prominent members as William Hamm, Walter Lemon, Mayor Herbert Keller, Dr. William Dinwoodie and famed grocer William Schoch. 
   In 1913 the Commercial Club building underwent extensive remodeling, and its size was more than doubled. The changes reflected a shift in the social and recreational patterns of the year. On the new first floor, there were eight bowling lanes, a locker room and private dining rooms. The second floor housed the "men's smoking room" a reading room, creation room, business meeting rooms, a billiard area, a dance floor, a banquet hall and the main kitchen. 

The Roaring ‘20s

   The 1920s were a period of continuing prosperity along East Seventh Street. Some of the older industries moved away, but new ones came to take their place. "The Mining", as 3M was known to the locals, arrived from the northland in 1910, and was beginning to have a major economic impact on the area. Moving pictures had arrived and there were several theaters on the old streetcar strip. There was also a newcomer that would soon come to have a major impact on Seventh - the automobile. 

3M as it looked in the 1940s when its headquarters and major manufacturing plants were located near 7th St.   3M has been a large employer of Dayton’s Bluff residents since its move here in 1910.   Photo courtesy of Steve Trimble

   At first, the impact of this new personal transportation technology-some of it negative- was not evident. In fact, automobile sales rooms, repair shops and service stations were a welcome added attraction to the variety of services in the area. Most people still walked from their homes to shop, so the parking problems that later arose had not yet surfaced. 
   One sign of the automobile's effect came in the 1930s. Because of increased traffic, people began to see that the old streets needed to be upgraded. All around the city, on Payne Avenue and Grand Avenue as well as East Seventh, merchants and neighborhood improvement associations began asking the city to widen the roads. A major project was completed in the early 1930s along East Seventh. 
   To accommodate the wider thoroughfares, many building facades had to be altered. The Dayton’s Bluff Commercial Club, for instance, had a major face lifting. But businesses felt it was worth the trouble and a weeklong celebration took place along East Seventh when the work was completed. 
   While there was some such progress during the 1930s, major economic problems also began to emerge. Hundreds of area workmen were unemployed because of the Great Depression and the local stores lost much needed revenue. The elite could no longer afford to keep up the large mansions in the community. When they left, their homes were usually cut up into rooming houses. A period of social and economic stagnation, if not decay, had come to east Seventh, Street. 

Post War Challenges

   Like so many other neighborhoods after the Second World War, Dayton's Bluff faced hard times. The suburbs drew many of the young of St. Paul away from the inner city. The population grew older and there was a drop in the total number of residents as children left home. Especially in the western sections and along East Seventh Street, the neighborhood was losing much of its former middle class base. 
     Increasingly, people would jump into their cars to go to one of the outlying shopping areas rather than make purchases in the local community. People began shopping at the larger and cheaper “cash and 

W.B. Martin Lumber Co. at 7th St. and Johnson Parkway was one of the many businesses that located near the railroad tracks.  Although a number of lumber companies once existed in the area, only Martin Lumber is still operating.  The building shown in this 1925 picture is still part of the lumber yard.  Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.

carry” grocery stores. However, at the end of the month, when money   was tight, they often returned to the neighborhood stores that usually would sell food on credit. They sometimes ran up large tabs and the small proprietors had to absorb crippling bad debt.
   The focus of the Commercial Club had, according to old-time members, shifted from civic and economic matters to a social emphasis during and after the war. It was not providing the leadership focus it had in the past. This was the impetus for the creation of a new organization - The East Seventh Street Business Association. It was formed in April 1950 and its first president was J. A. Moren.  According to a leaflet, its stated purpose was "To promote civic and social welfare, to foster and develop business relations and to the aims and interests of its members." 
   During the 1950s and 1960s the organization engaged in a variety of activities designed to bolster the image of the business strip in general and also to give financial support to the community at large. In 1959 and 1960, for instance, the group looked into the possibility of decorating the avenue for the holiday season, but found that it was far too expensive. Instead they led a successful campaign to have all shopkeepers put up a standard Christmas wreath and encouraged individuals to decorate their storefronts. 
   The Association was often asked to give financial aid to neighborhood groups. They were a consistent supporter of the Parkway Little League program. The Harding High School band was a frequent recipient of donations. In 1962, the group sent them four hundred dollars to help buy new uniforms. They often sponsored Fourth of July celebrations at Lake Phalen that were attended by large numbers of community people. 
   Johnson High School, the Face to Face Crisis Center and Meals on Wheels are a few of the other organizations that the Business Association extended their hand to over the years. In July 1964, they reached out to become part of the greater St. Paul area and joined the Association of Commercial Clubs. 

Problems Along the Street 

   The 1960s brought challenges to the East Seventh Street Business Association. Some of them were small, some extremely threatening. In 1962 a letter of protest was sent to the chief of police, asking that our foot patrolman again be returned to the street. But times had changed and all across the city, the beats would now be patrolled from automobile. 
   The automobile was the cause behind another major challenge that developed in the mid-sixties. The state revealed a plan to put a section of Highway 212 through Dayton's Bluff, running from Hope to Johnson Parkway, just underneath Seventh Street. The Association quickly protested the plan that, they pointed out, would “make an island of our business community.  They were not against progress, they stated, for they had always "been consistent in our efforts to maintain our part of town and to support total city improvements." 
   Changing times continued to bring slow decline to the East Seventh business strip. Some businesses, faced with competition from shopping centers, closed their doors. The buildings were old and had started showing their age. People relied more and more on their cars to get from place to place and there was little parking along the street. The East Seventh business strip had begun to have an "image problem”. 
   In a 1967 leaflet Association president Gordon Lundquist made the following suggestions to shopkeepers: “1. Clean sidewalks every day. 2. Wash windows once a week. 3. Weeds and debris removed from parking lots and sidewalks. 4. Fresh paint would help brighten up many neglected buildings both inside and out." 
   In response to the changing times, the group's name was changed in April 1974, to the East Seventh Area Business Association (ESABA). It was partly an attempt to attract membership from those not right on Seventh Street. 
   By the time the East Seventh group celebrated its twenty-fifth birthday in 1975, it was clear  that individual efforts were not enough to stop the slide. While the Association's goal remained the same, there was a shift in emphasis. A concerted group effort needed to be made and help from city and federal programs would be necessary. 
   The third part of this article will appear in next month’s Dayton’s Bluff District Forum.

Drivers Needed

   On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again-love driving?  Volunteer to provide transportation, with your personal vehicle, to the clients of Ramsey County Community Human Services to/from medical and/or social service appointments. Reimbursement for mileage. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Contact Ramsey County Community Human Services-Volunteer Services at 651-266-4090 for additional information or e-mail to volunteerservices@co.ramsey.mn.us

Wedding Held at the Mounds Theatre

Dayton’s Bluff residents Amber Ruth and Jason Pluff were married at the Mounds Theatre on August 16. The ceremony was followed by a dinner and dance.  Amber’s mother Raeann Ruth, executive director of the Portage for Youth, has been leading the effort to renovate the Mounds Theatre for the past three years.   Photo by Greg Cosimini

Youth Conservation Corps

Members of  the Youth Conservation Corps under the guidance of Ruth Murphy and the Community Design Center  take a break from their work at Swede Hollow Park.  The Corps has been busy at many locations around Dayton’s Bluff this summer.    Photo by Denny Thompson.

Concordia University’s  “Changing Faces Multicultural Festival” 

   In an unusual twist of the usual academic lecture, Concordia University, St. Paul will explore the serious side of diversity with an eye-opening, belly-breaking and seemingly “light” performance of Tou Ger Xiong, America’s first Hmong comedian.  Xiong will perform his one-man show, “Teaching Culture Through Laughter,” on Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Pearson Theater on the Concordia campus.  The performance is one highlight of the university’s first-ever “Changing Faces Multicultural Festival,” and is free with a food shelf donation.

Tou Ger Xiong will teach  culture through laughter at Concordia’s “Changing Faces Multicultural Festival."

   Xiong’s performance is a different approach to a very serious topic, but through humor, folklore and hip-hop music, his show helps audience members challenge their own prejudices and perceptions on race and culture and laugh their way to a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity. Dressed in his traditional Hmong clothes and using his bilingualism, Xiong takes the audience on a journey of his life from the jungles of Laos, to the refugee camps of Thailand, and to the public housing projects of America. His stories make the audience rethink their beliefs about accepting differences long after the show is over. 
   Xiong’s performance is part of Concordia University, St. Paul’s first-ever “Changing Faces Multicultural Festival” on Friday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 13.  The festival will include a variety of music and dance performances, arts and crafts exhibits and food samples that will expand participants’ understanding of diversity and explore the experiences of immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. The festival is being presented in conjunction with the Century College Library, Hmong Cultural Center, the Center for Hmong Arts & Talents, Hmong Archives and the Hmong Arts, Books & Crafts store.
   Featured festival performances are scheduled on Friday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., on the Concordia campus, including:
* Nimely Napla & the Pan-African Drum and Dance Ensemble, featuring interactive drum and dance demonstrations;
* ARTS-Us Young Storytellers, continuing the storytelling tradition of the African Diaspora;
* Southeast Asian Community Council Dancers, showcasing traditional Hmong dancers;
* Toni Carter, storyteller, presenting stories of African-American history
* Katina Edwards, demonstrating Afri-Carribbean dances
* Quej Music Troupe, playing traditional Hmong instruments
   The Changing Faces Multicultural Festival will also include an arts-and-crafts bazaar featuring handcrafted items by local minority artists and artisans (Friday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Pearson Commons) as well as ethnic food samples (Friday, Sept. 12 from 5 – 7 p.m. only). 
   The festival will wrap up on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. with a concert celebrating the national release of “Faith,” the second album by Minnesota-based Cornerstone Music Group.  The CD, conceived as more than a traditional gospel album, features songs of praise with sounds ranging from smooth urban and funky, to R&B and quiet fire ballads.  Cornerstone Music Group is led by Connell Lewis, pastor of Resurrecting World Faith Ministries in Brooklyn Park.  The ministry focuses on welcoming an integrated, multicultural congregation.  The concert will be held in the Buetow Auditorium; admission is free, but a goodwill offering will be taken.

Terry Johnson, Trinity Extended Day Teacher, Retires 

   Terry Johnson, Extended Day teacher at Trinity Catholic School, is retiring this year. Terry has been on the staff at Trinity for the past 8 years. Giving of self is the hallmark of Terry's gifts. Nothing is ever too much for her. In addition to the Extended Day program, Terry volunteered her services in many different areas of the school. 

Retiring Trinity Catholic School Extended Day teacher, Terry Johnson

 Dedicated, caring, outgoing, tireless, faithful, and loyal are all words that come to mind when Terry's name is mentioned. Every morning at 6:00 a.m. Terry was there to welcome the children arriving. She prepared breakfast for them, found creative things for them to do, and listened to their adventures. After school at 3:30, she was again present to give them a snack, supervise the playground activities and assist with homework. She became an intense listener of parents and students as she heard with her heart their stories and issues. 
   Terry is a tireless worker who volunteers with a variety of agencies around the city. Her family is often by her side helping her in her dedicated service to others. A witness of volunteerism, Terry is a model for others to imitate.

Betty McCollum Announces Grant Recipient
Great River Greening to Receive $50,000

   Congresswoman Betty McCollum announced this week that Great River Greening will receive a $50,000 grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.  The funding will support the conservation organization’s Bucks and Buckthorn: Engaging Young Hunters in Restoration project.
   “With this funding, young people will learn about protecting and restoring critical habitats through this project.  I commend Great River Greening for their dedication to stewardship of our natural resources for our families and for the wildlife which inhabit them,” McCollum said.
   Great River Greening restores valuable and endangered natural areas and open spaces in the greater Twin Cities by engaging individuals and communities in stewardship of the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix river valleys and their watersheds.  In addition, they are committed to educating the public and training volunteers to serve these areas.
   The organization has established partnerships with more than 400 landowners, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies.  Their work is focused in locations and on activities that offer ecological, social and economic benefits.
   McCollum serves on the House Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over National Parks and Forests, endangered species and their preservation.
   For more information on requesting help with grants, contact Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s St. Paul office at (651) 224-9191, or access her website at: www.house.gov/mccollum/grant.html.

Mounds Park Bluff – 
          A Neighborhood Natural Area

   This year, a new cooperative project to inventory and manage the wooded bluff between Mounds Park and Highway 61 was begun.  St. Paul Parks is working with the DNR, Great River Greening, the National Park Service and MnDOT.  This summer they are mapping plant communities and areas that need special management, and next winter they will write a management plan. 
   The neighborhood is invited to come to a hike through the woods on Sunday, September 14th, to learn about the plants and animals of the bluff from naturalists. Meet at the corner of Burns Avenue and English Street at the edge of the woods at 3:00 p.m. 
   Bee Vue is an energetic eagle scout who led Boy Scouts in helping to control some of the invasive plants on the bluff last year.  He wrote the following article to help neighbors understand two of the worst plants on the bluff. 

Common Buckthorn

What is it?
     Common Buckthorn is a shrub that can reach up to 20 feet tall.  It has dull to glossy green elliptic leaves. Small fruits about 1/4 inch containing 34 seeds form in the fall ripening from bright red to dark purple. They are commonly found in deciduous woods as well as prairies and savannas. Buckthorn has the ability to make long distance dispersion of seed, which is carried mostly by birds that ingest the fruits.  Buckthorn can grow in many different areas and conditions.
Why is it harmful?
     They grow tremendously fast and throughout the growing season, which shades the sunlight from smaller plants. They also rapidly form dense thickets, which not only prevents smaller plants from receiving sunlight, but also prevents the establishment of tree seedlings. 
How do we control it?
      For smaller, less stable Buckthorns (diameter of 1/2 inch or less), they can be pulled. The bigger, stronger Buckthorns (anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch in diameter) can be weeded using a weed wrench and digging. 

Garlic Mustard

What is it?
     Garlic Mustard is also an invasive plant that rapidly reproduces.  A unique characteristic about this plant is that they create a garlic odor when crushed. The fruits are slender capsules 1 to 2 ½ inches long that produce a single row of oblong black seeds. The stem leaves are alternate and triangularly shaped with large teeth. Garlic mustard can grow in upland and floodplain forests, savannas, yards and roadsides. They are shade tolerant and generally require some shade in order to grow.  The seeds disperse through animal fur, flowing water and human activities.  Seeds can lie dormant for 20 months and still be viable for about 5 years.
Why is it harmful?
     Garlic Mustard is a rapidspreading woodland weed that can replace native plants within 10 years. A single plant produces 2 to 422 fruits that contain 1948,000 seeds.
How do we control it?
     Garlic Mustard can be pulled from the soil, preferably when they are flowering.  However another tactic is to cut the stem of the plant as low to the ground as possible. Pulling can cause a disturbed soil that promotes resprouting, so after pulling the plant make sure to pat down the soil.

Volunteer Opportunities at the Marian Center

   We are currently seeking caring individuals and groups to spend some time with our Elders. Whether you have an hour or two, or several hours of time you can donate per month, we’d love to hear from you. Here’s what we currently have to offer:
1:1 Visits
Gift Shop Clerks
Dining Room Assistants
Chapel Services Escorts
Physical Therapy Escorts
Recreation Programs Assistants (days and evenings)
Arts & Crafts Instructors
Exercise Class Instructors
Basic Computer Skills Instructors
Outings Assistants
Music Entertainer (play the piano, organ or any musical instrument)
Building Maintenance and/or Landscaping Assistants
US Mail Delivery Assistant (room to room delivery)
Men’s Discussion Group Leader
Grocery Shopping Helper
And so much more!

   Volunteering can be very rewarding and open opportunities you never dreamed of.  If you are interested in joining our wonderful team of volunteers, and you are between 14 and 110 years of age, please contact Robert Johnstone, Volunteer Services Coordinator at (651) 793-2116.

Volunteer clerks are needed  to staff the Marian Center’s all new Gift Shop.   Stop by and shop. Everyone is welcome!   Photo by Robert Johnstone

Wish List for the Marian Center

   The Marian Center is currently looking for donations to get bench pads/cushions. Our elders need a bit more cushion on those wooden benches. Please contact Marcy at (651) 793-2102. Thank you in advance.

Attention all Crafters and Bakers

    Mark your calendars! HealthEast Care Center – Marian of Saint Paul is getting ready for their annual Holiday Boutique and Bake Sale on Friday, November 7, 2003. We are looking for vendors and individuals to display and sell their handmade items, from all over the community. 
   This year we have more space and that means our boutique is going to be bigger and better than ever! You don’t want to miss out, so please call now for pricing and to reserve your table.
   For more information, call Robert Johnstone or Jodi Auger at (651) 771-2914.