NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
When the long-vacant stores in the former River Bluffs Center on Highway 13 were demolished this month to make way for the Lilia luxury apartments and Cascade condominiums, all traces of Lilydale’s once-famous Diamond Jim’s supper club were erased.
ON THE TOWN
The holiday drama A Servants’ Christmas has deep meaning for Ron Peluso. It was the first play Peluso directed at the History Theatre back in 1988, and it will be the last. His 27-year tenure as the theatre’s artistic director will end when the month-long run of A Servants’ Christmas closes on December 18 on the stage at 30 E. 10th St.
SPORTS
When talking with local high school girls’ hockey coaches, the number of participants in their programs is front and center on their minds, although the scope of the problem seems to be varied.
MORE NEWS
Keystone Community Services’ planned new food center at 1790-1800 University Ave. has just gotten a $1.7 million lift. The Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority board awarded two federal Community Development Block Grant loans on November 9 to the $8.38 million project.
Historic preservationists are still holding out hope that the 170-year-old Justus Ramsey House can be saved either at its current West End site or a new location in the neighborhood. A permit for its demolition will be reviewed by the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission in a public hearing at 3:30 p.m. Monday, December 5.
M Health Fairview pediatrician Dr. Anna Milz knows well the importance of having school staff members understand what to do if a student has a seizure. The Mendota Heights physician has a school-age son and daughter who have epilepsy and suffer seizures.
A total of 21 projects will share in Saint Paul’s 2022 Neighborhood Sales Tax Revitalization (STAR) funding, which was approved by the City Council on November 9. The vote ends a competitive process that began last spring.
Public comments are being sought on amendments to Saint Paul’s residential rent stabilization ordinance that were approved by the City Council in September. The comments are due by
December 2.
The Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) board voted 5-2 on November 9 to give preliminary approval to issuing up to $13.5 million in conduit revenue bonds for the renovation of Higher Ground Academy, 1381 Marshall Ave.
The Macalester-Groveland Community Council (MGCC) on November 10 wrapped up several months of studies by its Transportation Committee and weighed in with its recommendations on the city’s plan to reconstruct Grand Avenue between Snelling and Fairview avenues in 2024.
The red wave of 2022 ran up against a blue tsunami in Minnesota on November 8 as DFL incumbents turned back challenge after challenge from their Republican opponents.
The Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority board awarded $426,200 in low-income housing tax credits on November 9 to the Twin Cities Housing Development Corporation (TCHDC) for its Selby Commons and Wilkins Townhomes projects, now known as Selby Wilkins.
Saint Paul businesses that apply for new city licenses should enjoy a smoother and faster application process under changes adopted on November 9 by the City Council. The changes, which have been in the works for four years, will take effect by the end of this year.
Saint Paul property owners should have received mailed notices earlier this month of their estimated property taxes for 2023. The estimates are based on the maximum property tax levies established earlier this fall by Ramsey County, the city of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul School Board.
Another $4.65 million in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds were allocated on November 16 by the Saint Paul City Council. The funds are intended to assist small businesses, support new public art projects and help homeowners make energy-efficiency improvements.
Reconstructing and rehabilitating streets, sidewalks, bridges and bike paths can cost Saint Paul upward of $80 million per year, when all funding sources are considered by the city’s Department of Public Works.
Saint Paul’s ambitious plan to reconstruct all of its residential streets was supposed to wrap up in 2005-2006. But with about 25 years of work remaining, some City Council members are getting impatient.
MORE ARTS
Make your holiday shopping a festive experience this year and purchase one-of-a-kind gifts for the the loved ones on your list while you support local artists and craftspeople. These artisans will be taking part in a host of holiday markets and boutiques throughout the area served by MyVillager:
MORE SPORTS
For the second time in two years, Saint Thomas Academy entered the state Class AAAAA football tournament with high hopes and an undefeated record but saw its bid for a championship dashed in the opening round.
A deep pool of swimmers helped Visitation blaze its way to a ninth straight state Class A swimming championship on November 18 at the University of Minnesota. The Blazers took first in three individual and a pair of relay events en route to scoring 397, which bested second-place Delano by more than 200 points.
Tom Dobbs watched the state volleyball tournament at Xcel Energy Center a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was from the stands, not the sidelines. For 10 weeks, his Nova Classical Academy volleyball team led a charmed life. The Knights bulldozed their way through their opponents to earn a 28-0 regular-season record, losing just seven sets along the way.
Farewell to Dennis Denning
Dennis Denning, who passed away on November 16 at the age of 76, is being properly praised by many for his lengthy and highly successful coaching career that included winning a pair of NCAA titles at the University of Saint Thomas and six state high school crowns at Cretin-Derham Hall.
VIEWPOINT
Saint Paul’s proposed $12 million Summit Avenue Regional Trail is fraught with many unknowns that will likely result in unintended and irreversible consequences—and with no proven increase in its primary goal: bicycle safety. Before city officials approve the recently unveiled Regional Trail master plan, they must prove that the trail will not be one more civic improvement built on good but not fully thought-out intentions.
FEATURED PHOTOS
Season of giving.
Larissa Holland and her daughter Claudia, 21 months, basked in the glow of the 25,000 bulbs that lit up Rice Park on November 12 during the Tree of Lights ceremony. The downtown promotion kicked off the Salvation Army’s annual Kettle Campaign for folks experiencing hard times. Like the downtown lights, the Kettle Campaign will continue throughout the holidays at stores and street corners across the Twin Cities.
Photos by Brad Stauffer
VIDEOS
ST. PAUL BALLET BEST OF THE NUTCRACKER
Nov. 23-Dec. 6, 2022 e-edition
Click below to view the current issue of MyVillager, complete with active links and archive from April 2020 until now!
Historic Archives
Click below to view our growing archive of historic issues, now from 1953-2010. Log in or join for access.
Recent Posts
- Crime Report Nov. 23, 2022
- Want Ads Nov. 23, 2022
- Service Directory Nov. 23, 2022
- Support builds for moving Justus Ramsey House to new location
- Keystone’s new food center gets $1.7M boost
- State requires all schools to be smart about treating seizures
- Projects earn slice of Neighborhood STAR funding pie