Jefferson Avenue bikeway plan amended in St. Paul city council vote

By |

“I’m beginning to know what Charlie Brown feels like,” lamented Dave Pasik.  “I keep running to kick that football, and the last minute, Lucy pulls it away.”

At Wednesday night’s St. Paul City Council meeting, Pasik’s football was the Jefferson Avenue Bikeway, or at least parts of it.  Charlie Brown was the cyclists, Jefferson Avenue residents, disability advocates, and pedestrians.  Lucy was Council Member Chris Tolbert and the rest of the City Council. On April 4, in the latest move in a series of meetings, plans, revisions, and amendments, the council voted unanimously to approve an amended resolution for a Jefferson Avenue bikeway that removes several of the traffic circles that had been approved previously. 

Continue Reading

Czech Slovak Festival in St. Paul

By |

Last Sunday, September 20, the annual Czech Slovak festival was held at the historic CSPS building in St. Paul and hosted by the Sokol of Minnesota, an organization that seeks to provide education about Czech and Slovak culture. The community-led event, staffed by volunteers, was a wonderful mix of generations and families, all enjoying and embracing their common heritage. This festival, now in its twentieith year, included a wide range of cultural showcases from traditional folk dancing, cultural and traditional foods, vendors selling original lead and cut class from the Czech Republic as well as antiques and handmade jewelry, and the Sokol sponsored gymnastics team. To learn more about the Sokol of Minnesota and their upcoming events please visit sokolmn.org. Continue Reading

A budget Renaissance

By |

by Jay Gabler | 9/1/09 • When I visited the Minnesota Renaissance Festival for the first time a couple of years ago, I was impressed at the scale of the thing but less impressed at the fact that what the hefty admission charge bought you was largely a chance to spend more money—on mead, lamb shanks, and sundry goblets. My friend Nalini and I had chosen to dress up in ironically futuristic garb, bearing in mind of course that in the future everyone will wear non-breathing garments like golden parachute pants and pink plastic raincoats. By the time we made it across the parking lot, which seemed to span several counties, we were pouring sweat and made it for only one turn ’round the fair before escaping to the nearest Culver’s for air conditioning and affordably-priced Butterburgers. Continue Reading

New Mississippi Market Co-op store goes green, but uncertified

By |

Fresh and locally imported fruits, vegetables, and other organic products are surrounded by pumpkin orange walls painted with low-VOC paint. A sealed concrete floor is so shiny that it is hard to believe the floor hasn’t been waxed and will never need wax. Eleven skylights in the ceiling warmly embrace and openly invite the sun’s natural light into the building. The pure organic and “green” feel of the new Mississippi Market Co-op which opened July 16 on West 7th Street in Saint Paul, is almost tangible. Mississippi Market Co-op is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The address and contact information of both stores is:
1500 West 7th Street, St Paul MN 55102. Continue Reading

Saints look to the future, new location

By |

Midway Stadium leaves a lot to be desired. It lacks many of the amenities of newer ballparks, like real toilets and showers that don’t require players to wash en masse. “It’s not as good as you had in junior high school,” said Ward Two council member David Thune, referring to the conditions of the locker room. Corporations are reluctant to sponsor a stadium so far from downtown, especially given Midway’s condition, and developers do not have the space to bring new businesses to the area. These reasons and more have driven the Saints to consider both locations for a new ballpark and extensive renovations. Continue Reading