Registration open for ‘speaker’s platform’ at Powderhorn Park Fourth of July celebration

By |

This Fourth of July at Powderhorn everyone will have an opportunity to speak up and be heard. Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association and Southside Pride are co-sponsoring a speaker’s platform on the Tea House on the Lake. Before the age of Twitter and email, before radio and television, there was an American tradition that on the Fourth of July families would gather in the parks and playgrounds of the public schools and eat a picnic lunch while listening to speakers debate the important issues of the day. This was the principal source of information for most people about slavery, women’s suffrage and wars. Those speeches were the mass media and social media of their day. Today, communication is reduced to bytes and sound bites and 140 characters.

Continue Reading

This week in Saint Paul: Monday, June 2–Sunday, June 8, 2014

By |

June is a busy month for the Saint Paul Almanac. There are a lot of dates you should save: June 3, June 14, and June 27, to be specific. We have been telling Saint Paul’s story in many ways for many years. We still are looking for more stories, more voices, and new ways to collect them. On Tuesday, June 3, we will be celebrating at the Amsterdam with our new look. On June 14, we will show off our new Storymobile at the Victoria Green Line station for the Green Line Opening. Continue Reading

Toys of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s: Childhood revisited

By |

A while ago I was contacted about a story I posted on this blog about Baby Brother Tenderlove, an anatomically correct boy doll that hit toy shelves in the 1970s. I was told that The Minnesota History Center was planning a toy exhibit and publishing a companion book that would include stories from those of us who were willing to share our memories of that time and those playthings. Fast forward nearly one year and there I am on page 152. Pretty neat! Continue Reading

2nd Annual Concours d’Elegance at Excelsior Commons

By |

A little rain did not hamper the spirit behind the 2nd annual Concours d’Elegance where an exclusive selection of automobiles lined the charming streets of Excelsior Commons Sunday, June 1st. The intent was to arrange the cars along the lake shore and although weather disrupted that plan, the event staff did a nice job of keeping the show afloat and making guests feel welcome and accommodated. Car owners still had plenty of time between re-polishing chrome fenders to chat-up stories about turning their collectable sleds into showroom quality pieces of art.A diverse range of spectators took close-up pictures of fancy hood ornaments and peaked their heads through rolled down windows and under raised hoods to admirer the many intricate details that make the history of the automobile one worth checking out. Event proceeds go toward benefitting the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, The Lazarus Project and the ICA Food Shelf.  
Continue Reading

BEHIND THE STORY | Let them have bikes

By |

I had a Marie Antoinette moment at Open Streets in North Minneapolis this past weekend. I was talking to a young boy — maybe eight or nine years old — and he was bummed out because he didn’t have a bike. Did I know where he could try one out.? I had the immediate feeling of disbelief that a child of that age should be deprived of one of the greatest gifts of childhood —one that offers them freedom and mobility along with exercise. Was my privilege showing through?I was helping out a friend of mine doing a performance project, so I was there in the morning, and I was surprised by how few people were out bicycling the street in comparison to previous Open Streets. Continue Reading

Here’s what I know about parenthood…

By |

My path to parenthood was a stressful one. Infertility is a cruel beast. It seems that I spent my whole adult life trying not to get pregnant, and now that I wanted to, I couldn’t. After years of trying, which gets old very quickly, and doctors, and test, and appointments, and hopes dashed, and guilt setting in, I was finally pregnant! With twins! Continue Reading

MN VIDEOS | Cafesjian’s Carousel celebrates 100 years

By |

This beloved Saint Paul institution has entertained kids of all ages for 100 years – first at the State Fair, and now at Como Park. In this short video, you’ll hear how this beautiful merry-go-round was almost lost, then saved.Produced by Nick Nelson and Saint Paul Communications Services Continue Reading

Remembering Maya Angelou, an influential legend

By |

Yesterday, May 28th,my day started out like many others before it. I tuned into WBGO and heard the voice of the host of Mid-Day Jazz, Rhonda Hamilton. Instantly I could sense sadness in her tone, and then she said it: “Dr. Maya Angelou has passed at the age of 86.”Nothing could have prepared me for that moment.She was a phenomenal woman, prolific writer, poet, and civil rights activist, among many other things. What I will remember most is hearing her talk in Minneapolis at the State Theatre on October 23, 2012, as part of a series of talks presented by the Star Tribune, called Unique Lives, and Experiences. That was the last time I saw her. Continue Reading

A great tree fell: Reflections on Maya Angelou’s passing

By |

It seems only fitting that I spent some of yesterday saying good-bye to a phenomenal woman, Maya Angelou, as she sang her last song on earth before flying freely into other worlds while I am in the heat of trying to raise my own phenomenal woman. My girl and I are facing some hard times, some sort of predictable challenges that come with being a young woman but with a bent that is worrisome to me. Continue Reading