A “comprehensive sound-abatement program,” including giving Minnesota State Fair management ultimate control over the soundboard, is one of the conditions the Soundset music festival must meet if it returns in 2017, State Fair management said.
That’s the result after excessive noise and other problems spilled into the Como Park neighborhood on May 29 from Soundset, a daylong hip-hop festival that attracted more than 30,000 fans to the fairgrounds.

The District 10 Como Community Council compiled residents’ complaints about music volume, profanity, parking, traffic congestion, trash and loitering during and after the 10-hour festival. District 10 residents then used letters, phone conversations and a face-to-face meeting on June 30 to detail the problems and propose potential remedies.

After that meeting, Soundset’s organizers—Minneapolis-based Rhymesayers Entertainment—proposed the sound-abatement plan, said Jim Sinclair, deputy general manager of the fair. Rhymesayers’ plan includes redirecting speakers, monitoring sound levels outside the fairgrounds and, if necessary, giving Minnesota State Fair personnel “control of sound emanating from Soundset,” Sinclair said.

There is no signed deal in place, but Soundset can return on May 28, 2017, if it agrees to implement the sound-abatement plan and meet other conditions, Sinclair said.

Meanwhile, District 10 continues to talk with fair management and City of St. Paul officials to implement ways to reduce traffic, parking and other impacts on the neighborhood during Soundset and other large fairgrounds events.

For more details on the Soundset discussions, see District 10’s website, www.district10comopark.org.

Neighbors are expressing increasing frustration with what they see as rising amounts of illegal activity in and around the former Sholom Home. Meanwhile, the current owner said he should know within a month whether a major construction company will partner with him to redevelop the vacant property on Midway Parkway.

During a community meeting organized by District 10 on July 28, neighbors said they routinely observe scrapping, squatters sleeping inside, drug sales and other unwelcome activity. Attendees also complained about the lack of effective response and coordination by police and private security to root out the problems.

Charter Midway LLC purchased the former nursing home in December 2015, with plans to turn it into an assisted-living and memory-care center. David Grzan, president and CEO, said Charter Midway continues to seek additional financing that would make the renovation possible and, he said, eliminate the opportunity for crime.

“We know there’s a problem there,” he told residents. “It’s a beacon for that activity. It attracts the wrong element.”

Interim steps: Even though St. Paul police list the building as a problem property, officers need direct permission from the property owners before they’ll enter, Western District commanders Ed Lemon and Bryant Gaden told neighbors on July 28. Further, the commanders said, response by patrol officers to a vacant building is generally going to be a lower priority than many other types of police calls.

Randy Olson, general manager of JBM Patrol and Protection, pledged to the dozen neighbors in attendance that he’ll work more closely with police in responding to problems and take additional steps to deter criminal activity and access. JBM took over as Charter Midway’s new security company in July.

Further, Charter Midway is following recommendations from the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections to better secure the building, including tearing out overgrown shrubbery; boarding up windows and doors from the outside, not just the inside; and adding “no trespassing” and other signs.

“But that’s an interim measure,” Grzan said. “The best cure is to put an operating business in there.”

Financing talks continue: Because many traditional sources of financing have turned down the project, Grzan said he now is in talks with Calgary-based Graham Construction Services about a potential partnership. Graham, which has offices in Eagan, is assessing cost estimates from several subcontractors about the feasibility of converting the buildings into 168 units of senior living.

Got junk you need to get rid of? How about not-so-junky stuff you simply don’t need anymore? Take it all to St. Paul’s Citywide Drop-off Event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 8. District 10 is the lead organizer for the annual event, but any St. Paul resident can participate.

The cleanup event runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s an easy way to get rid of things you can’t put in the trash. You can dispose of some things for free (like bikes and cell phones), but typically there’s a charge. There also will be an expanded reuse area, so goods in good shape can go to a nonprofit instead of to the landfill. Plus, you can bring confidential papers and shred for free.

Watch District 10’s website for additional information as the date approaches: www.district10comopark.org.

Want to volunteer? Residents who volunteer to staff the cleanup event get to bring in one load of materials for free. If you want to volunteer, contact District 10 by email at district10@district10comopark.org or by phone at 651-644-3889.

Respondents overwhelmingly oppose banning recreational fires in St. Paul, according to a District 10 survey. But many survey participants say there should be more courtesy and education about the use and impact of backyard recreational fires.

District 10’s Land Use Committee conducted the survey after a neighborhood resident contacted the committee about the impact that recreational fires have on her health. Some 502 people took the online survey between Aug. 17 and Sept. 5.

Here are some results of the survey:

• 16 percent of survey participants say they support a ban on recreational fires; 81 percent oppose a ban.
• 20 percent of survey participants say they support limiting the number of recreational fires individuals can have in one year; 70 percent oppose such limits.
• Nearly two-thirds of survey participants say they have recreational fires in their yard; slightly more than one-third do not. Among those who have fires, more than 99 percent oppose a ban. Among participants who do not have fires, 41 percent support a ban.
• Nearly one-quarter of survey participants say smoke from recreational fires bothers them and nearly as many say smoke affects their health.

Recreational fires are legal in the City of St. Paul if they meet certain conditions. The challenge is that smoke from the fires travels into surrounding homes and can affect neighbors in the general area. Many survey participants noted that to be good neighbors, residents should burn only clean, dry wood or install a fire ring that uses natural gas. Other comments highlight other themes and contradictions surrounding backyard fires:

• The same fire that allows some neighbors to enjoy their private property prevents other neighbors from enjoying their property—or enjoying nice weather—and instead forces them indoors behind closed windows.
• Fires can enhance community and friendship for some people but cause health problems for others.
• Current laws already outlaw burning trash, construction materials or yard waste, but these laws are poorly enforced.

Many survey participants, including those who support fires, urged neighbors to be more respectful of how fires impact others. They suggested that conflicts could and should be worked out courteously, face-to-face. Among their ideas:

• Notify neighbors before you start a fire.
• Have fires only during colder times of the year.
• Do not have fires late at night.
• Pay attention to weather conditions—including wind, air inversions, air quality alerts and dry conditions—before deciding to have a fire.
• If fires bother you, let neighbors who have fires know that fact.

It’s harvest time in our gardens, which means it’s time for another get-together with the Como Community Seed Library. The volunteer group is holding a free fall event on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Historic Streetcar Station.

At the family event, you can learn more about how to extend your growing season, get advice on how to best prepare for next season, and join an exchange of seeds, recipes, skills, canned and fresh harvest, and stories.

Scheduled presenters include representatives from Ramsey County Master Gardeners, Seed Sages and the District 10 Environment Committee. The afternoon includes a make-and-take event for kids.

For more information, contact Dawn Lamm by email at Comoseedsavers@gmail.com, or follow Como Community Seed Library on Facebook.

Throughout the year, the City of Falcon Heights will host public events to bring residents together. Traditionally, the city hosts a summer event in late-July; unfortunately, due to a heat index near 110 degrees, this summer’s event was canceled. So the city has scheduled a new event: The Falcon Heights Fall Fete! will be held Thursday, Oct. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Community Park, 2030 Roselawn Ave.

The event will include a bounce house, family-friendly crafts and games, and treats. Come explore the park, paint a mini-pumpkin, jump in the bounce house and meet your fellow Falcon Heights residents. For more information, please contact City Hall at the number listed above.

Falcon Heights residents and community members are encouraged to follow updates from the Falcon Heights City Council regarding Falcon Heights Inclusion and Policing Task Force as well as the Tri-City Work Group with the City of Lauderdale and City of St Anthony. Updates will be provided on the Falcon Heights website, falconheights.org, as they are available.

Please contact Sack Thongvanh, city administrator, at 651-792-7611 or sack.thongvanh@falconheights.org with questions, comments or concerns.

The League of Women Voters will host a Lauderdale City Council candidates forum on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. at Lauderdale City Hall, 1891 Walnut St.

The annual Lauderdale Halloween party will be held on Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m. at Lauderdale Cit Hall, 1891 Walnut St.

Set up for the event will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-30, from 12 to 8 p.m. Set up includes decorating City Hall, building and decorating a spooky maze, filling candy bags, setting up tables and chairs, and more. On the night of the event, volunteers are needed to hand out candy bags, grill hotdogs, serve food and beverages, and of course, clean up at the end. Many helpers are needed for the event.

Sign up to volunteer at signup.com/go/3KAM8p.

District 12’s board election will be held in early November and the council is seeking candidates to run. You can apply on the St. Anthony Park Community Council website at sapcc.org/board-applications. The deadline for applying is Monday, Oct. 10.

Voting will be open online from Wednesday, Nov. 2, to Sunday, Nov. 6. Voting tables will be set up at Tim and Tom’s Speedy Market and at Hampden Park Co-op on Friday, Nov. 4. District community organizer Cailin Rogers will also host a “Coffee with Cailin” where attendees can vote at Workhorse Coffee on Nov. 4, 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Election results will be announced the week of Nov. 14.

Gloria P. Greer, 90, died peacefully on Sept. 12, 2016.

Gloria lived in Como Park and Roseville before living at Lyngblomsten Care Center during her last nine months. There she was lovingly cared for by the wonderful staff in the “Lund neighborhood.”

Gloria was a “force of nature,” as her good pal Bill put it, so some days the staff’s job was quite the challenge. But they cared for her with patience and love.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; her parents, Charles and Lucille Cassidy; brothers, James and Charles; sisters, Mariel and Lucille; and very special friend, Martin Coyne.

She is survived by her daughter, Michele; son-in-law, James Ventura; two grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and sister, Shirley Knutson. She is also survived by her friends Patricia Hasse and John and Nancy Hendrickson, who made it possible for Gloria to live in her home for a long time.

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Sept. 19 at Holy Childhood Catholic Church, with interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Citizen group will review police protocols

The City of Lauderdale took applications through Oct. 25 for a new three-city group that will work with setting policies with the St. Anthony Police Department and that includes having police wear body cameras. Work group members will be selected by mid-November. The work group will be comprised of three residents from each of the three cities that the St. Anthony Police Department serves as well as city council liaisons from Lauderdale, St. Anthony and Falcon Heights.

The work group’s purpose will review current police policies and protocols, best practices and trends, policy development and present policy recommendations to the St. Anthony police chief and the city councils of the three cities for officer-worn cameras.

Lauderdale Halloween party is Monday, Oct. 31

Lauderdale’s annual Halloween party will be held Monday, Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m. Set up for the event will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 28-30, from 12-8 p.m. Set up includes decorating City Hall, building and decorating a spooky maze, filling candy bags, setting up tables and chairs and more. On the night of the event, volunteers are needed to hand out candy bags, grill hotdogs, serve food and beverages, and of course post event clean up. Many helpers are needed for the event. Sign up to volunteer at signup.com/go/3KAM8p.

Annual Pancake Breakfast is Oct. 29

Homemade food, great company and kids in Halloween costumes. It’s all guaranteed at District 10’s annual Pancake Breakfast Saturday, Oct. 29.

The family feast will feature pancakes, eggs, bacon, turkey sausage and breakfast beverages. Plus, children get to field-test their Halloween disguise during a costume parade at 10 a.m. Breakfast runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the cafeteria of the Humphrey Job Corps Center, which is on Arlington Avenue between Snelling Avenue and Arona Street. All are welcome.

Tickets are $7 for teens and adults, $4 for children ages 5-12 and free for youngsters 4 and under. You can purchase tickets from a D10 board member or at the door.

Organics recycling made easier

You asked for it, you got it. We’ve now made replacement bags for organics recycling available free of charge at our 24/7 drop-off site in Como Park near the Humane Society on Beulah Lane. The bags are in a mailbox attached inside the gate. Please limit yourself to two bags each visit.

Also, a reminder: Because of construction in the McMurray Field area, the only way to access the drop-off site is from the west. From the T-intersection at Hamline and Jessamine avenues, head east on Jessamine, then turn left at Beulah. The drop-off site is on the left, just north of the Humane Society.

Finally, if you are new to organics recycling, stop by the District 10 office and pick up your free starter kit, which includes a bag, refrigerator magnets and other information and supplies to help you succeed in reducing your waste footprint.

Something to look forward to

Saint Paul’s recycling program will undergo big changes beginning in January 2017. Among the highlights:

• Eureka Recycling will replace bins with covered, wheeled carts.
• Pickup will switch from curbside to alleys.
• All multi-unit buildings will have the opportunity to recycle.
• Residents will get wheeled carts after Thanksgiving.

We’ll keep you up to date with more details as they become available. Stay tuned to District 10’s website, www.district10comopark.org.

You’re invited to sit in

The District 10 board and standing committees meet monthly and community members are always welcome to attend, participate and speak or raise concerns. All meetings are at the Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. The schedule is listed below:

• Land Use Committee: Typically meets on the Monday before the first Wednesday, 7 p.m. (However, because of a holiday, the committee will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 1.)
• Neighborhood Relations and Safety Committee: First Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• Board: Third Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• Environment Committee: Last Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Get your recycling gear here

The Como Park Streetcar Station is open from noon to 4 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month through the fall and winter. We’ll have a District 10 board member on hand to distribute blue recycling bins, organics composting bags or just take your comments and suggestions. The Streetcar Station is at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton avenues.

District 12 will hold its election for its Board of Directors in early November. Voting will be open online from Wednesday, Nov. 2, to Sunday, Nov. 6. Voting tables will be set up at Tim and Tom’s Speedy Market and at Hampden Park Co-op on Friday, Nov. 4. Please call Suyapa Miranda or Cailin Rogers at District 12 to find out the times that the booths will be set up, 651-649-5992.

District community organizer Cailin Rogers will also host a “Coffee with Cailin” where attendees can vote at Workhorse Coffee on Nov. 4, 7:30 to 9 a.m. Election results will be announced the week of Nov. 14.

Four candidates are running for seats on the board. Find out more about them below.

Charles Christopherson

Charles Christopherson has lived in St. Anthony Park for more than 30 years and has served on the St. Anthony Park Community Council for the last year. He would represent the north side of the neighborhood if elected.

What makes you a good candidate to serve in this role? What skills would you bring to the SAPCC Board? I believe thoughtful consideration is the key, along with respectful discussion from all sides.

How would you help foster the future of St. Anthony Park? By being respectful and listening and being open before coming to a conclusion.

How would you fulfill and build upon the commitment SAPCC has made to equity, diversity and inclusion in our organization? Values are what matters. These values—equity, diversity and inclusion—are values I share as a professional and on a personal level. Taking time to consider actions and how they fit these values is what is important.

Bettsy Hjelseth

Bettsy Hjelseth is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a research analyst at the Department of Employment and Economic Development in downtown St. Paul. She would represent the south side of the neighborhood if elected.

What makes you a good candidate to serve in this role? What skills would you bring to the SAPCC Board? I am very committed and hard working. I enjoy attending board meetings and getting to meet new people. I will bring a positive attitude, open mind and strong work ethic to each and every meeting and event that I attend.

How would you help foster the future of St. Anthony Park? By bringing in new ideas. I think St. Anthony Park is such a great place to live, and I want others to feel that way, too. Diversity is important, and I want everyone to feel happy and excited about being able to live, work and play in St. Anthony Park.

How would you fulfill and build upon the commitment SAPCC has made to equity, diversity and inclusion in our organization? By listening to everyone and welcoming all ideas. I want everyone to feel like the SAPCC is a place that they can go to voice their concerns and ideas.

Max Herzberg

Max Herzberg is a graduate student and has been a member of the St. Anthony Park Community Council and the council’s Equity Committee for the last year. He would represent the south portion of the neighborhood if elected.

What makes you a good candidate to serve in this role? What skills would you bring to the SAPCC Board? As a current member of the SAPCC board of directors and Equity Committee, I am already familiar with the issues facing south St. Anthony Park and the district as a whole. Over the course of the past year I have developed relationships with fellow board and committee members, council staff and community members. These relationships have been, and will continue to be, key to the thoughtful decision-making inherent in the work of the SAPCC board. Finally, my community volunteer work in St. Paul has focused primarily on educational and community equity. I will be able to draw upon these experiences as the St. Anthony Park Community Council continues to develop its equity focus for years to come.

How would you help foster the future of St. Anthony Park? As a member of the board of directors in the last year I have learned the importance of open and honest communication within our community, especially between local organizations and residents. In the next two years I will continue to emphasize the importance of community engagement while serving on the board. Further, as a young resident of St. Anthony Park I recognize the importance and opportunity of the next few years in our neighborhood. Though these developments will contribute to the growing vibrancy of the neighborhood, they will also pose new challenges as we work to maintain the balance between industry, business, and residential areas so engrained in the history St. Anthony Park. Equity remains central to all of these projects, and I will continue to emphasize its importance as is detailed below.

How would you fulfill and build upon the commitment SAPCC has made to equity, diversity and inclusion in our organization? Over the course of the last three months I, with the assistance of the equity committee, have begun drafting a set of guidelines for use in the St. Anthony Park Community Council’s 10-year planning process. These guidelines are meant to facilitate progress specifically in the council’s commitment to “equity in all we do.” The resulting document will be utilized by the board and its committees to ensure that each initiative included in the 10-year plan is adopted with a consideration of the impacts that it will have on all members of our community. Chief among these considerations are improving access to the community council and its resources, fostering collaboration between diverse communities and advocating for economic equity in many forms (e.g., food, health, housing, transportation and many others).

Melissa Williams

Melissa Williams is an instructional designer who has lived in St. Anthony Park since 2003. She moved to the Twin Cities in 1998 to pursue her doctorate in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. She and her husband, Matt Hass, chose the South St. Anthony neighborhood “for its small-town feel in the midst of a big city with great resources,” she said. She would represent the south side of the neighborhood if elected.

What makes you a good candidate to serve in this role? What skills would you bring to the SAPCC Board? As a family, we’ve been very involved in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood and are quite familiar with the issues the district has been addressing in recent years. My husband has worked at Hampden Park Co-op and served on the district council for about a decade. I’ve been heavily involved in the co-op and its board for about the same time. My understanding of the neighborhood’s dynamics, experience with administrative process in educational and business environments, and skill in communications, make me a strong candidate to serve on the SAPCC board. I’ve spent my entire adult life teaching, assisting others in articulating their visions and navigating bureaucracies to achieve my goals.

How will you help foster the future of St. Anthony Park? When we bought our house, we also purchased a history of St. Anthony Park from Micawber’s bookstore. I was fascinated with the description of “current-state” SAP in the early 1990s; at the time, the area was aging and largely industrial, but many of the institutions that were central to the neighborhood then are still significant and appreciated elements of the community today. This is an excellent analogy to the future I envision for St. Anthony Park. I would like to maintain the things that make our community great (like our attention to infrastructure, our charm and walkability, and our beloved businesses and community gathering places) and foster improvement where it’s needed (like the need to address economic stratification, ensure that all SAP residents are included, and cooperate with our businesses to protect the community’s environmental health). The board is currently working on its 10-year plan for the district; I want to be part of that process. We also have to be sensitive to the changing environment in which we live; we, like the rest of the world, must reckon with how climate change, economic change, and demographic change will force us to reconsider our priorities and privileges. Balancing our respect and appreciation for the past does not mean ignoring imperatives for the health of our future.

How will you fulfill and build upon the commitment SAPCC has made to equity, diversity and inclusion in our organization? At present, the board lacks female representation. My service would begin to address that disparity. I’ve also spent the last few years learning about sustainable food initiatives and food justice; we have a need within this community to address these issues with more intentionality and equity than we have. For example, recent surveys conducted by SAPCC suggest that portions of SAP are a de facto food desert, due to limited mobility, language challenges, and economic constraints. I would like to find creative ways to address those problems, taking care to truly listen to those who have the needs we’re attempting to address. We do a great job in this neighborhood of being friendly and supportive with the neighbors we see, but it’s time to actively seek out neighbors we might not encounter in our comfortable spaces (churches, local businesses, schools, etc.) so that we can promote the success of all St. Anthony Park residents.

National Junior Honor Society students from Murray Middle School helped plant the new gardens.

The half-dozen eagles circling over the newly planted triangle filtration gardens at Horton Avenue, Van Slyke Avenue and Churchill Street in the Como Park neighborhood on Oct. 1 were “definitely a good sign,” says Michael Kuchta, District 10 executive director.

Neighbor Mike Haas served as project manager for the project.

That sunny Saturday saw more than 50 volunteers spending the day hauling, sorting, staging, digging, planting, mulching and watering nearly 1,400 trees, shrubs and plants in the two public gardens.

The volunteers, including nearly 20 students from Murray Middle School’s Junior National Honor Society, put the latest touches on the two new gardens, built as part of recent street reconstruction. The filtration gardens are designed to capture and clean storm water runoff before it reaches Lake Como.

For more than 15 years, neighbors from the Warrendale area of District 10, have maintained the gardens. Thee new gardens are a collaboration among neighbors, the City of St. Paul Public Works and Forestry departments, the Ramsey County Conservation District, the Capitol Region Watershed District and the District 10 Como Community Council.

Tim Liu, 8, and District 10 Executive Director Michael Kuchta stack empty planters.

The District 10 Como Community Council meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Historic Streetcar Station, 1224 N. Lexington Parkway. Contact information: 651-644-3889, www.district10comopark.org or District 10 Community Council on Facebook.

One more election to go

The District 10 Como Community Council is seeking candidates to fill two board vacancies: one in Sub-District 2 and one an at-large seat. The special elections to fill the vacancies take place on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., before the monthly board meeting, at the Como Park Streetcar Station. All eligible District 10 community members can vote.

The at-large seat is open to anyone who lives in District 10, which is the portion of St. Paul bounded roughly by Snelling Avenue on the west, Larpenteur Avenue on the north, Dale Street on the east and the railroad tracks between Pierce Butler and Energy Park Drive and Front Avenue on the south.

For Sub-District 2, you must live in the area between Hamline Avenue on the west, Larpenteur Avenue on the north, Victoria Street on the east and the BNSF tracks north of Front on the south.

The elected candidates will serve the remainder of the vacant terms, which expire in April 2017. Any District 10 resident at least 18 years of age is eligible to run; so are representatives from businesses or institutions in the neighborhood. To submit your name or to find out more, contact the District 10 office at 651-644-3889 or district10@district10comopark.org. Write-in nominations also will be accepted from the floor the night of the special elections.

You’re invited to sit in

The District 10 board and standing committees meet monthly, and community members are always welcome to attend, participate and speak or raise concerns. Here is the schedule:

• Como Community Council Board meeting: Third Tuesday, 7 p.m. The next meeting, on Nov. 15, features special elections for board vacancies and a presentation by MnDOT engineer Mark Lindeberg, who will outline plans to improve pedestrian and bicycle access over the Snelling Avenue bridges between Midway Parkway and Hamline University.
• Land Use Committee: Typically meets on the Monday before the first Wednesday at 7 p.m. The next meeting is Dec. 5.
• Neighborhood Relations and Safety Committee: First Tuesday, 7 p.m. The next meeting is Dec. 6.
• Environment Committee: Last Wednesday, 7 p.m. The next meeting is Nov. 30.

All meetings are at the Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton.

The Falcon Heights City Council meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7 p.m. in Falcon Heights City Hall, 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave. Contact information: 651-792-7600 or www.falconheights.org.

Lions Club Christmas tree sale starts Nov. 25

The Falcon Heights-Lauderdale Lions Club is celebrating its 30th year of selling Christmas trees to raise money for community organizations. The club will be selling trees evenings and weekends starting Friday, Nov. 25, at Falcon Heights Community Park, 2050 W. Roselawn Ave., at the corner of Cleveland Avenue and Roselawn. Hours are 5-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The community-based service organization serves Falcon Heights and Lauderdale. The 40-ember group meets the second and fourth Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Falcon Heights Community Park.

You can visit the group at a meeting or check out their website at fhllions.org.

The Falcon Heights-Lauderdale Lions Club has contributed more than $800,000 to local, state and international communities in the last 20 years. Some of the local projects include buying dictionaries and thesauruses for students in local schools, funding school and park projects, proving scholarship to area high school students, supporting food shelves, funding senior programs, buying large-print books and low-vision tools for Roseville Library and providing tents for community celebrations.

The group also helps support summer-camp programs for children and youth outreach and exchange programs; supporting research for sight, hearing, diabetes and infant screening; and providing service dogs to those with sight or hearing disabilities.

The group also holds a semi-annual bicycle drive to collect used bicycles that are donated to Cycles for Change, an organization that has a variety of programs to support people in getting access to used bicycles, free bicycle repairs and training in safe, confident cycling.

To promote literacy, a love of reading, and a sense of community, the Lions built and donated six Little Free Libraries to residents of Falcon Heights and Lauderdale.

All funds raised at the Christmas tree sale are donated back to the community, to statewide programs or to international programs run by Lions Club International.

Recycling changes in November and December

Recycling dates will change at the end of November and December because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The Saturday, Nov. 26, recycling pick up will be changed to Monday,

Nov. 28, and the Dec. 24 pickup will be changed to Monday, Dec. 26.

The Lauderdale City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in Lauderdale City Hall, 1891 Walnut St. Contact information: www.ci.lauderdale.mn.us or 651-792-7650.

City election results

Mary Gaasch was elected mayor of Lauderdale in the Nov. 8 election. Gaasch, currently a member of the Lauderdale City Council, received 95.15 percent of the vote with 961 votes. Forty-nine voters wrote in a candidate for the mayor’s seat.

Three candidates were vying for two opens sesats on the Lauderdale City Council, Daniel Gumnit, Jeffrey Dains and Kelly Dolphin. Dains and Dolphin won the election. Dains has been the mayor of Lauderdale for the last 25 years. Gaasch’s election as mayor will leave her council seat open.

In October, Gaasch said that if she was elected mayor the council would probably appoint someone to fill her council seat.

Budget hearing set for Dec. 13

The City of Lauderdale will hold a public hearing on the 2017 budget and levy on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Lauderdale City Hall, 1891 Walnut St.

The District 12 Community Council meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Jennings Community Learning Center, 2455 University Ave. To find when council committees meet, go to www.sapcc.org or call 651-649-5992. The council offices are located at 2395 University Ave., Suite 300 E.

Joy of the People updates

The Joy of the People (JOTP) soccer center at South St. Anthony Rec Center, 890 Cromwell Ave., will not pursue a proposed tennis court resurfacing project. The City of St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department has encouraged JOTP to pursue construction of a turf field instead. If JOTP can secure the grant funding for the field turf installation, it will be installed in spring 2017.

Local residents are planning to install a wildflower garden in the northeast corner of the park next spring. St. Anthony Park Community Council (SAPCC) and the City of St. Paul have approved the project.

JOTP and SAPCC are continuing to work toward developing a “community benefits agreement” that will establish a communication plan and commitment to collaboration between the two parties.

A number of possible initiatives were discussed at the St. Anthony Park/Joy of the People Committee meeting in October, including establishing more waste bins in the park, adding benches and seating around the soccer field.

The next committee meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Joy of the People, 890 Cromwell Ave.

St. Anthony Park development news

A number of developments are in the works along the Green Line in St. Anthony Park.

The 2700 Project at 2700 W. University Ave. will include largely market rate luxury apartments with a few affordable units in the complex. The first floor of the building will likely host a joint coffee shop and bar.

Ground has been broken for the 79-unit micro-apartments project at 2326 Territorial Road. Most of the units will be between 350 and 450 square feet and will rent for $800 to $1,000 per month.

Dominium, the developers of the Hunt Electric site at 2300 Territorial Road, will attend the December SAPCC Land Use Committee meeting to outline the Union Flats project, which recently received funding from the Met Council. The project will include 216 affordable-housing units. The December meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. at Jennings Community Learning Center, 2455 University Ave.

Dominium has also purchased the Weyerhauser site bordering Prospect Park in Minneapolis. This development may include up to three sections: senior affordable housing, affordable workforce housing and market-rate housing. The developers have been involved in conversations with SAPCC, the City of St. Paul and the Towerside Innovation District to plan for the development, which will serve both St. Anthony Park and Prospect Park in Minneapolis.

The senior housing project, Vandalia Project, at Vandalia Street and University Avenue has been awarded funding from the Met Council. The developer, Aeon, has made several presentations to the SAPCC Land Use Committee about the upcoming project.

C&E Flats next to C&E Lofts at the intersection of University and Raymond avenues have been under construction for a few months. The project will include five stories of market-rate apartments on top of the existing storefronts on the first level at this location.

George Yetter, now a sophomore at Como Park Senior High School, stands with much of the garbage found at the 2015 Kasota Ponds Cleanup.

Get outside, meet your neighbors, and help with the annual cleanup Saturday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to noon.

To protect St. Anthony Park’s Kasota Ponds, volunteers gather each spring to pick up debris that would otherwise make its way to the Mississippi River. All ages are welcome. Kids, K-12 can join local entomologist Margot Monson, whose microscopes and expertise will help them discover what critters live in the ponds.

Volunteers meet at 9 a.m. at NAPA Auto Parts parking lot, 2530 Kasota Ave. (just west of the Highway 280 overpass and the railroad tracks, take a left).

Refreshments will be provided. Bring gloves; extras will be available. Reflective vests will be provided for safety. Dress for the weather. In light rain, wear a poncho and boots. If it is raining or snowing hard, the cleanup will be postponed to Sunday, April 9.

You can find more about it at www.sapcc.org/kasota-ponds-clean-up-2017.