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The Historic Mounds Theatre will be rocking!2nd annual Hamming it up for the Hollow cabaret Forum staff

Get your tickets and get iton your calendar NOW! OnFriday, February 28, from8:00 to 11:00 pm, theMounds Theatre (1029 Hud-son Road) will come alivewith a riotous variety of acts.The cabaret will featuresingers, musicians, anddancers, an auction of origi-nal art. Tickets are only $20in advance and $25 at thedoor.

This celebration of talent– with East Side roots – is afundraiser for this year’s Artin the Hollow (Saturday,June 7, 2014) and we expectit to be a blowout! The Mas-ter of Ceremonies is no lessthan famed burlesque starFoxy Tann, and the houseband is The May North, fea-turing our local star coupleStephanie and George McCorkell (“newgrass” and pro-gressive original folk). We welcome acts of all kinds! Asample of the lineup: Paul Garding, traditional folk mu-sic; Anne DeJoy performing her “Mardi Gras review;”Soprano Nancy Sanchelli Guertin. And introducing

“The Spirit of Swede Hollow” and other zany acts. Fortickets or to sign up to perform, please contact KarinDuPaul at 651-776-0550 or karin@swedehollow.org.Don’t miss this! The East Side has not seen anythinglike it since last year.

Photo courtesy of Karin DuPaul

Above: Last year's Hamming it Up raised funds for Art in the Hollow. This year's event is on February 28 at the Mounds Theatre.

Blustery Bluff

Dayton’s BluffCommunity Council798 East 7th StreetSt. Paul, MN 55106

ECRWSSPostal Customer

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTWIN CITIES MNPERMIT NO. 3996

DuPaul allowed to retire Last fall, Karin DuPaul retired after 17 years of work with the Dayton's Bluff Commu-

nity Council. A party in her honor was held on November 18. Karin's response:

Letter to the community:Thank you to everyone that I have been working with over the years to make Dayton’s Bluff a better place to live, work and visit. We have come a long way.I also want to thank everyone who planned and came to my wonderful retirement party. It was the best. I was delighted by all the people who attended. I will still be here on the Bluff and working on things like this newspaper. -Karin DuPaul

Photo courtesy of the Pomrenke family

Cold but cute, Vikta Pomrenke snuggles up with dad Stefan for a sled ride in the neighborhood.

East Side co-op efforts gaining groundby Cassandra Moe, Metro State employee and Dayton's Bluff resident

It’s a familiar scene. You're in the neighborhood with a solid half-hour to spare.You haven’t eaten for a few hours, but if you eat one more item from a vendingmachine this week, you might turn into a petrified Twinkie. Wouldn’t it be nice tohave another option to pick up a quick and healthy snack, and maybe even stockup on a few groceries while you’re at it?

You might get your wish. The Gateway Food Initiative is making importantstrides toward their goal of bringing a cooperative grocery store to the Dayton’sBluff neighborhood. I spoke with Stephanie Harr and Michael May, both Dayton’sBluff residents and members of the Gateway Food Initiative.

A co-op is a member-owned business, a factor that distinguishes it from an or-dinary for-profit business. There is a wide variety: REI is a co-op; many seed andfeed businesses in small towns are run by farmers’ co-ops; and there are also co-ops for shared services and for workers. In the Twin Cities, the type that might bemost familiar is a natural food co-op, such as The Wedge or Mississippi Market.

A food co-op is more than just another grocery store. It does provide anotherfood choice to a neighborhood; perhaps equally important is that a food co-op ex-ists to serve the community. It’s Harr’s belief that “the community of the EastSide deserves food choices and deserves the opportunity to express its uniqueidentity.”

(See “East Side co-op,” continued on page 3 )

Photo by Steve Carlson

At Karin's party at the Historic Mounds Theatre, local actors and actresses portrayed historic Dayton’s Bluff characters in a mock trial to see whether Karin would be allowed to retire. Above, from left: Romi Slowiak portrayed Maria Bates Dayton; Sage Holben as Clara Bergmeier, and Stefan Pomrenke as William Hamm. In addition, Steve Trimble played Supreme Court Judge Warren Burger; Angela DuPaul the Court Stenographer; and Ed Lambert played attorney Harry Blackmun.

Volume 27, No. 1

February 2014

www.daytonsbluff.org

“The Voice of the Community”

Page 2 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2014

New Swede Hollowfriends are welcome

The next Friends of Swede Hollowmonthly meeting is on Wednesday,February 12, at 6:30 pm. Email karin@swedehollow.org or call 651-776-0550 for more information and themeeting's location.

Get rid of your junk car;help Dayton's BluffCommunity Council

Budget Towing of Minnesota, Minne-sota’s largest towing company, is ownedby Roy Carlson, an active Dayton’sBluff Community Council board mem-ber. Budget Towing will remove anyjunk car or truck – located anywhere inSt. Paul – and dispose of it at no chargeto the vehicle owner or the propertyowner where it is located. The vehicleowner will receive paperwork for a taxdonation, and Roy will also make asmall donation to the Community Coun-cil for each car he tows.

Just call 651-772-2075 to get a junkcar out of the way – and help clean upDayton’s Bluff.

Small business classesThe next Dayton’s Bluff Neighbor-

hood Microentrepreneur Class is start-ing in April 2014. Class size is limited,so register early. This program helpsstart-up and young businesses on theEast Side. All East Side entrepreneursare welcome.

Class training lasts 11 weeks and in-cludes topics such as operations man-agement, marketing, financial manage-ment, one-on-one assistance with creat-ing a successful business, and preparinga business plan, plus 8 hours of one-on-

one time with the instructor. Those whosuccessfully complete the course and lo-cate their businesses in target neighbor-hoods are eligible for ongoing businesssupport services.

Some examples of businesses startedby people who have previously takenthis course include graphics, landscap-ing, photography, food service, restora-tion of wood furniture and works of art,custom floral design for weddings andevents, and exterior and interior paint-ing. The course is sponsored by theDayton’s Bluff Community Council andthe Neighborhood Development Center.There is a small registration fee basedon a sliding scale. Please call 651-772-2075 for an application.

Meet the policeThe Eastern District Police will host

their monthly meetings for communitymembers at 722 Payne Avenue, at thecorner of Minnehaha Avenue. The nextmeetings are Wednesday, February 19,at 6:30 pm, and Friday, February 21,at 9:30 am. The meetings are intendedto address and listen to concerns aboutcrime and other issues on the East Side.

Community meeting:Come one, come all

The Dayton's Bluff community meet-ing will be on Thursday, February 6,6:30-8:00 pm at the Dayton’s BluffCommunity Council, 798 East 7th Streetat the corner of 7th and Margaret Streets.

Police and code enforcement person-nel will be in attendance to help neigh-borhood residents work on problemproperties, criminal and nuisance behav-ior, code enforcement issues and anyother issues or concerns. Submit the ad-

dresses of problems ahead of time, sopolice and code enforcement can bringinformation about the properties to themeeting.

The Dayton’s Bluff CommunityCouncil holds its Community Meetingon the first Thursday of each month.The purpose of the meeting is to workwith neighborhood residents on neigh-borhood issues, concerns, and/or newideas for improvement in Dayton’sBluff.

All Dayton’s Bluff residents are wel-come to attend and help Dayton's Bluffbe the best it can be. For more informa-tion, call 651-772-2075.

The Forum needs YOUfor a Friend

The District Forum newspaper is anonprofit operation that mails out a freevaluable community resource to everyaddress in Dayton's Bluff every month.Please contribute to the paper at givemn.razoo.com under “Hopewell Com-munications.” Become a Friend of theForum today by donating any amountonline, or use the form on page 8. Call651-776-0550 or email editor@daytons-bluff.org for more information.

Take-a-Hike February 1Take-a-Hike occurs on the first Satur-

day of most months. The next hike willbe Saturday, February 1. Hikers meetat 10:30 am in Indian Mounds Park atEarl Street and Mounds Boulevard, andwalk to East Side Heritage Park. Thehike is about two hours (four miles)with some moderately rough terrain. Re-turn transportation is available, if re-quired. All are welcome.

Dayton's Bluff SeniorsDayton’s Bluff Seniors Living at

Home Block Nurse Program helps se-niors stay well, safe and independent intheir homes. We draw a circle of carearound our seniors with free nursing vis-its, wellness clinics, chores and house-keeping, and rides to the doctor andgrocer. We also help them find and navi-gate community resources, including El-derly Waiver and brown bag fooddeliveries. We face challenging times;government programs cannot fill theneeds. We stretch our resources to pro-vide vital services which help to preventisolation, emergency room visits andnursing home stays. We count on you,our friendly neighbors for financial sup-port and volunteer efforts! We inviteyou to donate and/or engage. Contact usby phone: 651-776-7210 ext. 303 or vis-it www.daytonsbluffseniors.org.

Our annual meeting will be held onFriday, February 7 at 9:00 am at FirstLutheran Church at 463 Maria Avenue.If you know a senior in Dayton’s Bluffwho may need our help, let us know!

Forum updatesThe Dayton's Bluff District Forum

welcomes Jennifer Herman to our boardof directors! Jennifer has been a residentand active volunteer in Dayton's Blufffor 14 years. She loves writing and sheloves this neighborhood. Find her arti-cles this month on page 3.

Would you like to learn more abouthow you can contribute editorially to theForum? Join us at our monthly meetingat the Dayton's Bluff Community Coun-cil office, 798 East 7th Street, on Tues-day, Feburary 4, at 11:30 am. Treatsare welcome.

Parent & Tot Time: ongoing, Wednesdays and Fridays,10:00 am-1:00 pm.

Judo: Mondays, 6:00-7:30 pm.

Free Zumba! Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 pm in the dance room.

Seniors “500” card playing: every Friday, 12:00-4:00 pm.

Free Rec Check program: 1st-5th grades; registration is open to the public.

Self Defense: Starting February 19 (there is a fee for this program).

Cheerleading: Starting February 24 (there is a fee for this program).

Dayton’s Bluff Family Center Parenting Group: every Friday,9:00-11:00 am.

Basketball season has started! We are hosting 8U games every Saturday,11:00 am-2:00 pm.

The Dayton's Bluff Rec Center is located at 800 Conway Street.

Stop by and check us out!

Upcoming opportunities at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center

February 2014 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 3

Continued from page 1:

East Side co-op

The cultural and economic diversity of the EastSide will be reflected, for instance, in the variety ofethnic and economical products sold.

The co-op will also provide the intangible bene-fits of community, opportunity for ownership, andan economic engine that will likely attract additionalamenities to the neighborhood.

Great! When will we have a co-op here?Most recently, the City of St. Paul granted Tempo-

rary Developer Status to Mississippi Market, a co-opwith two other St. Paul locations. According to Mis-sissippi Market’s website, “[The status]...means twothings. First, the co-op has expressed a serious inter-est in making the project work; and second, the Citywill [work] exclusively with us on the site for a peri-od of time that will be spelled out in the agreement.”There are a number of steps in the process beforeMississippi Market would build a store, but MichaelMay is optimistic about the prospects. He said thatMississippi Market’s next step is a series of internalmeetings. If everything falls together, there could bea natural food co-op on the East Side by 2015.

Harr has several suggestions for anyone who'dlike to get involved: sign up for the mailing list, tellpeople about the Gateway Food Co-op, “like” Gate-way on Facebook, become a member, join the steer-ing committee, and volunteer your special skills. Formore information, contact eastcoop@gmail.com.

This article originallyappeared in a MetroState publication. It hasbeen edited for the Fo-rum.

Mounds Park United Methodist Church

from a MPUMC release

Sunday Schedule

Adult Sunday School:9:15-10:15 am

Kids’/Youth Sunday School: 9:15-10:15 am

Worship Service: 10:30-11:30 amFellowship: 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Youth Sledding Party

Sunday, February 2, 2:00-5:00pm: Meet at Mounds Park UnitedMethodist Church. Open to 7th-12th-graders and adults.

Community Dinner andMovie Night

All are welcome on Saturday,February 15. Board games at4:30 pm; dinner at 5:15 (free-willoffering); movie, Lilo & Stitch,6:00-8:00 pm. Free popcorn;lemonade and candy available tobuy.

Scout Sunday

Sunday, February 16, 10:00am: open to all Boy Scouts, GirlScouts, Cub Scouts, VentureScouts, Campfire youth, andadults. Please wear uniforms.

Mounds Park United Methodist Church is located at 1049 Euclid Street.651-774-8736 - secretarympumc@yahoo.com

Yog koj xav paub ntxiv hu rau 651-774-9064

February at the Historic Mounds Theatreby Raeann Ruth, Executive Director,

Mounds Theatre

Empower EmporiumEmpower Emporium, a Psychic and

Wellness Faire, will be held at theMounds Theatre on Saturday, Febru-ary 22, 11:00 am–5:00 pm. Network,learn, share and grow through the intu-itive and healing arts and other meth-ods of a holistic lifestyle.

Admission is $5 per person. Activi-ties include freeclasses and work-shops; psychic andintuitive readings;alternative healthprofessionals; auraphotos and artisanalbusinesses.

Hamming it upfor the HollowOn Friday, Feb-

ruary 28, 8:00–

11:00 pm, the Mounds Theatre willcome alive with a riotous cabaret fea-turing singers, musicians, and dancers,and an auction of original art. This cel-ebration of talent is a fundraiser for thisyear’s Art in the Hollow on Saturday,June 7. Tickets are only $20 in advanceand $25 at the door.

The Historic Mounds Theatre is lo-cated at 1029 Hudson Road. 651-772-2253. www.moundstheatre.org.

(1-3%)

Plots available atSkidmore Gardenby Jennifer Herman, Forum staff

Skidmore Park Community Garden an-nounces that garden plots are now availablefor the 2014 growing season! There are 24raised-bed plots in this neighborhood parknear the Earl Street Dairy Queen. Plots comein two sizes: 40 square feet and 64 square feet;the annual fee for all plots is $25. The EarlyBird registration deadline for returning 2013gardeners is February 15. Registration for newgardeners opens February 16, and the finaldeadline for all registrations is March 15. Amandatory orientation will take place on Mon-day, April 14 from 6:00-7:00 pm at the gar-den, 1084 East 4th Street. An indoor locationfor orientation will be announced, should theweather refuse to cooperate. Applications areavailable for download on the Skidmore ParkCommunity Gardens Facebook page, or youcan pick one up at the Dayton's Bluff Commu-nity Council office at 798 East 7th Street. Plotsare assigned on a first-come, first-served basis,so get your application in today! Spring willbe here before you know it. Questions? Callthe Dayton's Bluff Community Council at651-772-2075.

Updates from Margaret Park

by Jennifer HermanForum board member

Mayor funds Margaretimprovements

Mayor Coleman unveiled a new budgetin December which includes $500,000 inCapital Improvement Budget funding forimprovements at Margaret Park. Afterbonds are sold, the funding will becomeavailable over the next two years: $47,000this year for the design process and$453,000 for construction in 2015. Obvi-ously this is not enough money to rebuild,staff, and program a new Rec Center, butit is enough funding to make some signifi-cant additions that will give Margaret amore park-like feel. What are your ideasfor improving Margaret Park? Would youlike to have a say in how that $500,000 isinvested at the park? Join Stewards of

Margaret Park (STOMP) at www.facebook.com/stompmn.

STOMP calls first meeting

STewards Of Margaret Park (STOMP)invites you to their very first meeting. STOMP welcomes anyone who is com-mitted to taking an active role in ensuringthat Margaret Park remains a safe andbeautiful green space with recreational ac-tivities for everyone. Our first meetingwill be on Thursday, February 20 at6:30 pm at the Dayton's Bluff CommunityCouncil Offices at 798 East 7th Street.Let's get together and think ahead to sum-mer! What could be happening in the parkthis summer? Pick-up games or tourna-ments in the field; visits by truck-basedservices like the bookmobile; or churchgroups, art groups, music groups...the pos-sibilities are endless! Bring your ideas andlet's make a plan!

Continued from page 4:

ESABA updatetion’s agenda for 2014.

This has the potential to have a tremendouslypositive impact on the businesses and the com-munity of the East Side.

Continued Growth: ESABA is committedto improving its own organization as well,helping each of their members get the most outof membership. The organization wants to es-tablish consistent communications, program-ming, and informative monthly events, anddevelop the infrastructure necessary for contin-ued growth. A further goal for 2014 is to devel-op opportunities in sponsorship, marketing, andadvertising that are effective and exceed thevalue of the investment for its members.

In 2014, ESABA will continue to be a dedi-cated advocate for its members and the EastSide community. We will strive for relevantand important land development, improvedbusiness and community infrastructure, advo-cate for youth mentorship and job placement,and advertise the many benefits of bringingnew businesses, both large and small, to St.Paul’s East Side.

The East Side has established itself as a di-verse community with amazing potential forcontinued growth and prosperity. The East SideArea Business Association, with its office at798 East 7th Street, will continue to be a part ofthat growth and will help the community as awhole reach its full potential. 2014 promises tobe an exciting and profitable year for St. Paul’swonderfully diverse East Side.

Page 4 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2014

Senator Hawj, Governor Dayton agree on bondingfrom a MN State Senate release

On January 15, Governor Mark Day-ton announced his 2014 bonding priori-ties totaling $986 million. Senator FoungHawj applauded the inclusion of his toptwo projects: $35.86 million for Metro-politan State University to build a newScience Education Center, and $450,000to design and build a Hmong-Lao Veter-ans Memorial.

“I was delighted to see that the Gover-nor shared my bonding project priorities.Metro State’s new science building willnot only add jobs, it will provide newlearning space to offer advanced science

degrees in the Twin Cities. Equally im-portant is the money for the Hmong-LaoVeterans Memorial – a significantproject that honors the Hmong and Laoveterans of the war in Laos who were al-lied with American forces during theVietnam War,” Senator Hawj said.

Governor Dayton’s bonding recom-mendations include an emphasis onhigher education with investments of$233 million, and economic develop-ment with $232 million proposed whichwill address statewide housing needs,civic centers and more.

More information about bonding isavailable at www.build.mn.

CENTROMEX SUPERMERCADO 816 East 7th Street – OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

EBT & WIC programs available

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE – GRACIAS POR SU COMPRA

Fresh Meat – Fruit and Produce

10% off on meat Saturday & Sunday

Ever think, “Someone should do something...”?You ARE someone...in Dayton's Bluff.

Join us at our Community Council meetings. All are open to the publicand held at the Community Council office at 798 East 7th Street.

Board of Directors:3rd Monday each month, 7:00 pm

Land Use Committee:1st Monday each month, 7:00 pm

Equity Committee:1st Tuesday each month, 6:30 pm

Vacant Building Committee:3rd Thursday each month, 6:30 pm

Greenspace Committee:3rd Monday each month, 6:00 pm

Ask about our Marketing, Arts and Cul-tures, and Outreach Committees.

Meeting times may vary from this schedule. Call 651-772-2075to confirm, and for more information.

East Side Family Clinic expanding dental servicesfrom a WSCHS release

The East Side Family Clinic, at 895East 7th Street, has re-cently expanded itsservices to includedental care for fami-lies, individuals, andchildren through anew strategic partner-ship with the Univer-sity of Minnesota’sSchool of Dentistry.The move is sure toput smiles on faces,young and old, byproviding affordableand accessible dental care to communitymembers.

“Oral health is an integral part ofoverall health,” said Dr. Brad McDon-

nell, Dental Director of West Side Com-munity Health Services.

The East Side Family Clinic featuresEnglish, Spanish andHmong-speakingstaff and interpreters.Insurance assistanceand a sliding feescale option areavailable.

For dental ap-pointments, call 651-602-7500. Clinichours are: Monday-Wednesday: 7:00am-5:00 pm; Thurs-day: 7:00 am-7:00

pm; and Friday: 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Theclinic is accessible via bus MTC routes61 and 74, and offers free parking to pa-tients.

ESABA ends 2013 on a high note; expectgreat things in 2014

by Fred Jenkins, ESABA staff intern

In 2013, the East Side Area BusinessAssociation (ESABA) saw membershipgrow by 70 businesses, to almost 160.We doubled our annual revenue to over$83,000, helping us continue to provideprogramming, advocacy, and other ser-vices for our members and the commu-nity.

ESABA’s Board is guiding the organi-zation toward having a greater impact inSt. Paul’s increasingly diverse East Sidebusiness environment. Here are somehighlights from 2013:

Holiday Gala: With the help of anamazing group of sponsors and volun-teers, the 2013 Holiday Gala was an un-mitigated success. Hosted by eight EastSide area restaurants, and with over 230attendees, the Gala raised $11,000.Council President Kathy Lantry and JuutSalonSpa Founder David Wagner gaveinspirational speeches at the event. Agood time was had by all who attended.

Business Map Project: Local artistLiz Harrell was commissioned to paintthe East Side business community forthis exciting project. 110 East Side busi-nesses sponsored space on the map, andnearly $20,000 has been raised to helpsupport the programs and developmentof ESABA. The maps will soon be avail-able around the area.

Memorable Events: ESABA’s mem-bers enjoyed several other events that in-cluded a fun, successful Pub Crawl and avery exciting 22-team bowling tourna-ment; monthly workshops and network-ing events, as well as grand openingceremonies.ESABA’s Commitment to Community

ESABA demonstrated its commitmentto community involvement and advoca-cy throughout the year. ESABA is amember of the Gateway Corridor Com-mission as well as the Gateway CorridorPolicy Advisory Committee. We are nowa member of St. Paul's Beyond the Yel-low Ribbon, offering support to localarea military families, and a member of

Metro State University’s $66,000,000Parking Ramp and Student Center Con-struction Project Community AdvisoryCommittee. As a FESTEC SteeringTeam Member on public transit, our or-ganization helped develop new ways toengage often-overlooked citizens in im-portant discussions about East Side.Transit. ESABA also became an advo-cate for its members with the city of St.Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspec-tions and other city departments and itsprocesses during the year, and collabo-rated with, and supported, PABA andWBABA events.

A bold vision and a bright futureThe organization looks forward to the

opening, targeted for June 2014, of thenew East Side Enterprise Center. Thismove is seen as an excellent opportunityto create a “collaborative and unique in-cubator for small business developmentand resources.” In addition to ESABA,the collaborative partners of the new of-fice space will be lead by the Dayton’sBluff Community Council and the Lati-no Economic Development Center, andpartner organizations: Hmong AmericanFarmers Association, and the East SideFinancial Center to name a few. Thebeautifully-restored building will be ahub for exciting new developments andideas for the East Side’s business com-munity.

A major goal for 2014 is to “Develop,fund and launch a collaborative market-ing and public relations initiative withEast Side stakeholders to minimize neg-ative press and stereotypes about theEast Side in an effort to help people toshop local.” ESABA will encourage itsmembers to join a committee to help ourorganization have an even greater impacton our businesses and the community.

Development of a Mentorship andVolunteer Committee, designed to con-nect our businesses with our youth andnonprofit community, is on the organiza-

(See “ESABA,” continued on page 3.)

February 2014 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 5

Left: Swede Hollow residentsin the Sanchelli yard, 1929.

Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

Memories of Swede Hollowby Steve TrimbleForum historian

Swede Hollow abuts our neighbor-hood and is often visited by Dayton'sBluff residents. While a great deal hasbeen written about this historic commu-nity, first hand reports are very rare.Mike Sanchelli (1915-2003) is consid-ered the premier story teller of the Ital-ian residents who lived along the banksof Phalen Creek. He was born in thehollow and lived there for many years.This is a portion of a long manuscriptthat can be found at the Minnesota His-torical Society. It begins when his fami-ly moved back into Swede Hollow aftera short stay in Montana and boughttheir first house.

Michael T. Sanchelli reminisces

My father had to borrow...the whole20 dollars the house cost. The friendsand neighbors gave us what extra furni-ture that they could spare and…westarted our new life in Swede Hollow.

As I stood in the yard one morningafter we moved in, I took a long lookaround the hollow. We owned our ownhome.

My father was digging a hole in onecorner of the yard. “Whatta ya gonnaput there, pa?” I asked. “Thissa gonnabe de flaga pole, thissa my property inAmerica,” he said. The flag would flyon all proper days without fail becausemy father knew them by heart.

“What a great place to be poor,” Ithought to myself, listening to the chat-ter of happy kids, happy chickens, excit-ed dogs, and mothers talking to eachother across one side of the hollow tothe other. I carried the happy thoughtback into the house with me... SwedeHollow was a great place for playing:no traffic to worry about; one class ofpeople, even if there were different na-tionalities.

We weren’t going to live high on thehog with my father getting his old jobback – the railroads were not payingthat good of wages – but we would beable to afford the necessities of living.We got into the old Italian way of life inSwede Hollow. In the day, the Italianladies would visit each other and aftersupper the men would do the same.

I would witness an old Italian way ofmaking wine… I walked in the frontdoor of my house one evening and therewere two Italians kneeling by my fa-ther…. They were trimming his toenailsand washing his feet, then they pickedhim up and carried him… to the Baril-las' front yard. They stood him up in agreat big wooden half barrel…. Twomen would dump crates of dark bluegrapes in the barrel. My father was

mashing the grapes with his bare feetand singing at the top of his voice,songs of Italy.

My Uncle Martin would introducethe hotta dogga to the Sanchellis. Ididn’t know what to expect; I neverheard of it. Uncle Martin came in fromthe kitchen with a large pan full of boil-ing water and wieners. He had mustardand ketchup ready… and the Sanchelliswent American for supper. Everybodyliked it, so every Wednesday we hadhotta doggas. My father didn’t care toomuch for the buns, so he used Italianbread instead.

Like the other Italians in the hollow,we started to raise chickens, rabbits andeven had a pig. I remember the morn-ing… Mr. Yekaldo plunged the knifeinto the pig’s heart. The pig screamedand although I felt a little pang, I knewit had to be done. My mother friedpieces of fresh pork that were eatablewhile the men continued to skin the pig.The carcass was hung in the shed tocool... When the younger kids got up itwas over and, after a few tears, they for-got about the pig that they had given aname.

We had no playground except for theold lot. Nobody had a ball and bat, sowe played around the railroad tracks,the binder dump, in the street or play onthe wagons... parked in the empty lot.We would also go to the freight yardsnear 4th Street and see if there was any-thing good to eat in the fruit cars. Theysure hauled a lot of cabbage in thosedays. It seemed like we ate cabbage 5times a week.

The year 1926 turned out to be a hap-py year for us. We were in the swing ofthings with the rest of the people ofSwede Hollow, or it could have beencalled “happy hollow.” Christmas Evewe heard somebody singing Christmascarols outside our door. We opened thekitchen door and there was Miss Dowl-ing of the Christ Child Community Cen-ter with some of the boys I recognized.They had brought a basket of food... thelittle boost we needed. It was a greatChristmas. Everybody was singingChristmas carols, Italian ones and Eng-lish ones. We ate in the living room atthe big round table we got from some-body. It was loaded...

Holidays. They are not what I had al-ways looked forward to when I was ayoungster.... In our days there were nopresents. It was the routine that we cher-ished., going to midnight mass, singingChristmas carols in English and Italian,coming home to continue eating cod-fish…lupino (Italian popcorn) and nutsand peanuts. We did a lot of visiting theneighbors in Swede Hollow; it was likea village all by itself.

View from my porch

New York Cityby Sage Holben

special to the Forum

I love the serendipity of life. José,one of my neighborhood ‘grandsons’,was cleaning my car one day last sum-mer. Our conversation turned to NewYork City, where my son lives andworks. The next day my son, Sam,happened to call and asked when Icould visit. I asked if José could comewith me, if his parents gave permis-sion. Someweeks later,José and I be-gan our adven-ture.

From myfirst visit toNew Yorkabout 15 yearsago, I fell inlove with thecity. As Samhas movedabout the city, Ihave gotten toknow areas ofBrooklyn,SpanishHarlem, Mid-town, the UpperWest Side, andmany places inbetween – rid-ing the trainand getting offat no particularplace for noreason but towalk. I’ve metfascinating, friendly people and am al-ways in awe of the history, architec-ture, public space, and how peopleadapt to and use their surroundings.

After over 43 moves in my life, Ifound my home in St. Paul when Imoved here 15 years ago. New York,though, holds a special place in myheart and I’m eager that everyone whovisits gets to know it and love it as Ido. When I’m away too long, I missNYC as one might miss being in alover’s presence. I want others to fallunder the magic spell of this city.

José’s enthusiasm, unrestrainedquestions, and pure joy of experiencingthe city brought new life to me. I real-ized anew how many public parks andgreen spaces NYC has, and the great

feeling of being a part of the congrega-tion of people in Central Park, WaltWhitman, Washington Square, ChelseaPiers (and watching the lights appearfloor by floor in the Empire StateBuilding at dusk). The great seafood atChelsea Market, Last Leaf in Ft. Tryon,the Frying Pan, and even the hot dogsin DUMBO. With our friend George,we visited art gallery after art gallerywhen we stepped off the High Line;Sam wanted José to enjoy the experi-

ence of beingable to walkinto art gal-leries, free tothe generalpublic. Joséobviously en-joyed manyfirsts: oysterson the shell,plane ride,taxi/car ser-vice, subway –and I glowedinside being apart of the ex-perience! Aswe walked to-ward theBrooklynBridge, peoplestreamed outof the nearbycourthouse –anotherserendipitousmoment! Wewere some of

the first to congratulate new US citi-zens, certificates in hand!

On our wanderings, I would wonderif José had seen ‘this’ on the curb, thearchitecture on that roof, the personwho…. José was seeing everything andrecording it with photos. With all thetime we spent walking (José had totake his belt in a notch) and riding thetrain, I have no doubt that José has theconfidence to make his way aroundNew York with no problem; even livethere. I know I found someone whowould develop his own love of NYC.

Post note: I would really like to takeanother youth for a NYC experiencethis summer, but cannot afford twofares. Someone suggested using donat-ed airline points for the youth. Anydonors?

The Big City by Jose Gaytan-CruzI boarded Flight 40 on July 17 in MSP Terminal 2. Going to New York City was

eye-opening for me, to see what's out there in the world: the cool buildings, awe-some art and people’s way of life. I have never seen so many buildings in my life.I thought I lived in the city, but it doesn't compare to New York. I live in St. Paul,but I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. One of my dreams was to see the Statue ofLiberty; it inspires me a lot. I love the way New York is – you don’t need a car.The subway will take you anywhere, and I have never seen so many taxis in a city.I took around 800 pictures of buildings, cars, statues, waterfalls, art, streets andother things. Something that was very unexpected was the way of parking cars –they park them in columns and rows on the outside walls of buildings.

I went to the Empire State Building, the coolest building in the whole city. An-other awesome thing I did in NYC was to see the Blue Man Group. They’re socreative and entertaining. My favorite thing was how they combine drums andcolor paint together and play pretty cool music.

The one thing about New York that was astonishing was that if you were lost,New Yorkers would stop and point you in the right direction. My first day in NewYork, Sage and I were trying to find Mother Cabrini’s church but we were a littlelost. A nice lady named Blanca took the time to walk us to the church and at theend she said, “If you ever are back in New York and want someone to show youNew York’s Times Square, just come back here and ask for Blanca Diego.” Over-all, New York was an extremely nice place to go on vacation. I can’t wait to goagain.

Photo by Sage Holben

Jose Gaytan-Cruz, pictured above, and Sage Holben made time for the Blue Man Group during a trip to New York last summer. See below for Jose's thoughts on his experience in the Big Apple.

Page 6 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2014

Letters to the editor

Undocumented workersstrain resources

A quote from the article“Thrift store 'desktop' raids un-fairly punish families” (Decem-ber 2013 Forum) reads: "Now,before we start judging peoplefor being here without docu-ments, let's look at some of thereasons why..."?

I believe that there are alsoreasons why we have suchagencies as U.S Customs andEnforcement, (ICE).

People of all nationalities,creeds and colors have assorted“reasons why” they want toleave their countries and callthe United States/Minnesota,“home.” Thousands are grantedcitizenship legally and havedocumentation. They find jobs,buy or rent housing, raise fami-lies and do so with “documenta-tion.”

And, at the same time, thou-sands of U.S. citizens, thou-sands of Minnesotans arehomeless, jobless, living in thestreets, hungry, striving to sur-

vive possibly because someonejust moved into a home theymight have gotten, or was hiredfor a job that would otherwisehave been theirs, or got to thefood shelf one loaf of bread ear-lier...why? You are asking us tobelieve it was because the otherperson had a “reason?”

We can not close our eyes toone form of injustice and thenopen them merely to questionwhy another is the result. In aperfect world, everyone can“work and feed their families inpeace,” because, at the end ofthe day, charity must begin athome, and we do not live in aperfect world.

Dawn S. Keller Dayton's Bluff

Kudos to Jennifer Herman

I would like to point out whatan outstanding job JenniferHerman did writing her 2 arti-cles on the front page of the De-cember 2013 Forum ("Givingher best – for the good of Day-

ton's Bluff" about Karin DuPauland “Welcoming a new seasonwith community meeting anddinner”). I have read other arti-cles in past Forums from Jen-nifer, including her insightfulpiece on the Metro State Uni-versity parking ramp, but reallyfelt compelled to tip my hat toher after seeing her insightfulwriting covering the wholefront page. Thank you, Jen-nifer!

Diane Michele May Dayton's Bluff

Editor's note: See page 2 for aspecial note about Jennifer Her-man's contributions to the Forumnewspaper!

Cleanup: every bit helps

It starts with one candy wrap-per. Then, an empty pack ofcigarettes, a plastic drinkingcup, a bag of fast food wrap-pings. Soon, the streets andboulevards are cluttered withlitter discarded by random in-

considerate pedestrians and carsthat pass through the neighbor-hood. I’ve gotten over beingmad about it…mostly...after liv-ing here for many years. It’s notworth the anger or feelings ofdisgust.

A fellow neighbor and I havebeen very faithful about walk-ing 4 blocks of Maria once ortwice every week, picking upthe trash. I unofficially call usthe Maria Clean Team. Takes usabout 30 minutes and is a goodtime to talk about the neighbor-hood and simply be neighbors.It is extremely rewarding tolook down the street and see…no trash. Even more rewardingis when someone intentionallycomes out of their house, orrolls down their window as theypass, to say, “Thank you!”

But one thing is stuck in mycraw about this. Who wouldpick up this trash if we didn’t?How many times would peoplewalk by and ignore it? Or evenworse, add to it? By no meansam I trying to hold myselfabove any other caring neigh-

bors. But at the same time,where are the rest of the peoplewho want the neighborhood tobe more tidy and appealing?Perhaps they aren’t aware thatthere are others already doingthis work?

Here is your official notice.There ARE people doing this,and they would be elated tohave more neighbors volunteerin the efforts. I realize that win-ter is upon us and the ground iscovered in snow. But look tothe spring. Talk with otherneighbors who might volunteerwith you. I have a feeling thereare more people who are readyto tackle this challenge thanthose who won’t. There are somany proud Dayton’s Bluff res-idents and I am confident morewill become involved.

Come warmer weather, if yousee us walking Maria and ap-preciate what we are doing,please give us a friendly shout-out – or better yet, join us!

Eric ZidlickyDayton's Bluff

Dayton’s Bluff District Forum798 East 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106

Phone: 651-772-2075 Fax: 651-774-3510 E-mail: editor@daytonsbluff.org

Monthly circulation: 7,500; also available online at www.daytonsbluff.org. This isa publication of Hopewell Communications, Inc. and is intended to provide a fo-rum for the ideas and opinions of its readers and to be an instrument for developingcommunity awareness and pride. No material contained in this paper may bereprinted without consent of the editor. Articles or photographs that are not attrib-uted are the work of Forum staff. Articles and letters to the editor are welcome andmay be emailed to editor@daytonsbluff.org or faxed to 651-774-3510. The Day-ton's Bluff District Forum is delivered to every home and business in the Dayton'sBluff neighborhood. Outside this area, subscriptions cost $15 per year and may bearranged by calling 651-776-0550.

Board of Directors: Greg Cosimini, Karin DuPaul, Jennifer Herman, Steve Trimble

Editor/Layout: Meg Gronau Editorial Assistant: Mark Gallagher

Next issue: March 2014. Deadline for material: February 10, 2014.

Dellwood Gardens – New senior-living facility aims to serve diverse community

by Mark GallagherForum Editorial Assistant

A 92-unit assisted living and memorycare residential facility is getting readyto open on the north side of 7 th Streetbetween Payne Avenue and ArcadeStreet. Dellwood Gardens, at 753 East7th Street, plans to open at the end ofFebruary, though the exact date has notbeen set. The facility will address thescarcity of affordable assisted living andmemory care options available to thegrowing and diverse elderly populationpresent on St. Paul’s Eastside.

Dellwood Gardens will be populatedin two phases: the first will house 62 res-idents, and the second phase will accom-modate 30 more.

The mission of Dellwood Gardens isto provide high-quality care that is ac-cessible and affordable to seniors of ev-ery culture and economic background.They strive to create a welcoming, life-enhancing environment within the com-munity.

One of the objectives of DellwoodGardens is to take care of seniorswhether they are elderly “waiver” pa-tients (low-income, state assisted) or pri-vate-pay patients. Sia Lo, theadministrator, says the facility has beencarefully planned to serve both. “Wehope that seniors will come here, so we

can keep this place open for a very longtime.”

“One short-term goal of DellwoodGardens,” Lo says, “is to employ a di-verse staff as we reach out to local orga-

nizations and leaders on the Eastside.Another is to make sure our staff is fullytrained on the technology we are com-mitted to.” A state-of-the-art computerand monitoring system will help Dell-wood Gardens increase its efficiency.

Lo also says, “The long-term goal iscertainly to be so successful that wereplicate ourselves. I think we needmore multi-cultural facilities like this,caring for the growing and diverse elder-

ly population in the Twin City metroarea.”

For most of his life, Sia Lo has calledthe Eastside of St. Paul home. His par-ents, his siblings, and Lo lived on EarlStreet close to Lake Phalen. Since 1978,

he has been a member of First CovenantChurch on Arcade Street, and still at-tends church there. Lo went to ClevelandJunior high, and graduated from JohnsonHigh School in 1985.

Formerly a practicing attorney in thearea of elder law, Sia Lo practiced inMinnesota—mostly in St. Paul and Min-neapolis. Before becoming an attorney,he was a medical technologist at Re-gions and St. John's Hospitals. Lopresently consults for HealthEast, help-ing them with diversity training.

“My favorite thing about Dayton’sBluff is this hill where Dellwood Gar-dens is located, and the beautifulscenery,” Lo says. “I think there are a lotof key players here in Dayton’s Bluff,and we are right next to downtown. It isa beautiful, happening place, and I try toeat at as many restaurants here as possi-ble.”

Lo says he is attracted to Dayton’sBluff because of his work. “I serve onthe board of 180 Degrees, a nonprofitthat is creating a runaway youth center.”

A Stillwater resident, Lo spends a lotof time in St. Paul. “My church is here,the Hmong council is here, as is the non-profit organization I volunteer with. Mylaw office is also here in St. Paul. I havea lot of ties to this area, and I am veryhappy to be here as the administrator forDellwood Gardens.”

Photo courtesy of Mark Gallagher

Above: Sia Lo, administrator of Dellwood Gardens.

February 2014 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 7

Page 8 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2014

Friends of the ForumDear Reader,

The Dayton's Bluff District Forumhas been around since the late 1970s. It's a volunteer-run newspa-per that has always operated on a minimal budget, but we now face a “new normal” of the possibility that it won't be able to continue be-cause of economic difficulties.

We have to admit that we can nolonger rely on ad income alone, though we do continue to try to in-crease this revenue source.

In May 2013, we thought we'd tryto get 100 residents to become Friends of the Forum and agree to make annual tax-exempt donationsto help the paper continue to mail out neighborhood news on a monthly basis.

We are proud to announce that we are nearly halfway to that goal. We have raised nearly $2,800 in the last nine months and, as you can see, we are delighted to be able to bring you the Forum again this month.

If you value this community source of information, please con-sider filling out the form at right andenclose a check. Any amount is ap-preciated. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Dayton's Bluff District ForumBoard: Greg Cosimini, Karin DuPaul,

Jennifer Herman, Steve TrimbleEditor: Meg GronauEditorial Assistant: Mark Gallagher

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Yes, I will become a Friend ofthe Forum.

My tax-deductible check is en-closed, for (circle amount):

$100 $50 $25 Other____

Or give online: givemn.razoo.com. Click on “donate” and type in “Hopewell Communications.”

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Make checks out to Dayton's Bluff District Forum and mail to 798East 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106.

For more information, call 651-772-2075 or email editor@daytons bluff.org.

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Thank youto these donors for their generous contributions:

Assisted Healing Center

Randy & Laurie Asunma

Ellen Biales

Bravely Be, Inc.

ESABA

Carol Carey

Julia Carlson

Beth Cleary & Peter Rachleff

Kendall & BernadetteClevenger

Jean Comstock

Mary Ann Cogelow

Greg Cosimini

John Davidsen

Tabitha DeRango

Nicholas Duncan

Karin DuPaul

Danny Evans

Gary Fitch

Mark Gallagher

Gloria Gomez

Esther Gomez

Gayl Gustafson

James Haselmann

Nancy P. Homans

Bette Johnson

Jeffrey Jones

Patrick Lee

Wayne & Gail Lundeen

David Lyons

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David R. Markegard

Jillyne Marrone

Matt Mazanek

Larry Meuwissen& Joyce Maddox

Elizabeth Meyer

Nick & Colleen Misenor

John & Nikole Mitchell

Celeste (Sally) Pilla Perry

Mary Petrie

Stefan & LeeAnn Pomrenke

Rebecca Price

Mona Rath

Carla Riehle

Sharon Sawyer

Donna Seabloom

Ramona Shafer

Vic Tedesco

Steve Trimble

Marise A. Widmer

You can join them by filling out the form at left!

Celebrating a great partnership

Friends of Swede Hollow give Fred Yarusso at drawing of Yarusso’s and Morelli’s businesses by Dayton’s Bluff artist Diane May, for everything Yarusso’s has been forFOSH over the years. Pictured above, from left: Fred Yarusso, Bill Zajicek, Romi Slowiak, Karin DuPaul, Rich DuPaul, Angela DuPaul, and Mike Grealish.

Snowasaurus!

Photo by Greg Cosimini

This sculpture was spotted on Euclid Street during our recent cold wave.

Hearts for Fashion exhibitat Metro State

from a Metropolitan StateUniversity release

Student-designed fashion will be on dis-play in the Hearts for Fashion exhibit atMetro State's Gordon Parks Gallerythrough February 28. The gallery is openMonday-Thursday, 11:00 am-7:00 pm,and Fridays and Saturdays, 11:00 am-4:00pm.

The designs, completed for the Ameri-can Heart Association's “Go Red” cam-paign, will be displayed on mannequins tobest allow visitors to observe and reflect.

Left: the Dayton’s BluffCommunity Council board holiday party included special guest Ken Iosso from Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega’s office.

Holiday hijinks

Photo courtesy of DBCC