Downtown St. Paul Voice June 2023

Big changes at Park Square Building

Page 4

Night Club launches new exhibit

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Emma Beatrez and Lee Noble are getting people on their feet, but not with pounding subwoofers and flashing lights as one might imagine, given the name of their new business. The owners opened Night Club art gallery in mid-March at 340 Wabasha St. N., and this month will host their second exhibit. The name of the gallery is the same as an informal art club that the owners started while they were students at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It was held in the evening and provided an opportunity for them and other students to discuss and critique art.

Beatrez said the reception for their opening exhibit attracted a few hundred people and that traffic has been steady ever since.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “It went way better than I could have imagined.”

The gallery’s next exhibit will feature 12 artists showing mainly sculptural work. An opening reception will take place 6-9 p.m., Friday, May 5, with light refreshments. It will be on display through the first week of June. This exhibit is a stark contrast to the first one, which featured 12 paintings from just one artist.

The owners aren’t curating any exhibits based on a specific theme or discipline at this time. They

Night Club / Page 3

Storm Chaser

One woman’s fascination with the raw power of nature

Page 8

Home runs and hula hoops reignite CHS Field

Jake Spitzack

Staff Writer

Action has returned to CHS Field, and this year’s St. Paul Saints team boasts another strong roster of players, several of whom are top prospects for the Minnesota Twins in future seasons. Fans will be glad to hear that all home games will feature zany promotions under the team’s new owners.

In late March, after 30 years of ownership, the Goldklang Group sold the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), which owns 16 other minor league teams. Under the new ownership, the team will maintain its character and connection to the community through fan engagement and local partnerships.

Tim Spitzack Editor

When the calendar flips from April to May, Valarie Namen starts to get a bit antsy. It’s not from spring fever. No, it’s quite the opposite. She wants bad weather and is normally planning a trip to find it. For the past 13 years, the retired St. Paul police officer has traveled across the country searching for that ominous natural phenomenon that most people pray they’ll never experience: a tornado.

Namen has seen dozens of tornados in her lifetime and hopes to see many more. She is among the rare breed who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to achieve a goal. As proof, she is a member of the Zero Meter Club, which is a storm chaser’s way

of saying they have been far, far closer to a tornado than one should be.

The reason people chase storms varies. Some do it for scientific investigation. Some to capture media coverage. Some for the adrenaline rush. Others, like Namen, do it to satisfy their deep curiosity of storms and to witness the magnificent power of nature, and to capture those images on film.

Namen’s fascination with storm chasing was piqued by the 1996 blockbuster, “Twister.” She found herself doing more and more research on storm chasers and the powerful effects of tornados and soon discovered there were – and still are – many tour operators that cater to people like her. One day she made the call.

Storm Chaser / Page 2

“The Saints are an iconic franchise, unquestionably one of the jewels of Minor League baseball,” said Peter Freund, CEO of DBH, in a press release. “DBH’s primary objective is to continue building on what my friends and partners of over a decade, Marv, Mike, Bill and Jeff, have already created.”

The Goldklang Group includes Mike Veeck, Bill Murray, Marv Goldklang, Jeff Goldklang, Michael Goldklang and Tom Whaley. Freund met the group in 2012 and today is a co-owner with them for the South Carolina-based Charleston RiverDogs, the class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2021, the Saints became one

Downtown street and bridge projects get underway

Jake Spitzack

Staff Writer

Bright orange construction signs seem to magically appear as quickly as the last layer of snow melts, and this year is no exception. Here are some road projects in the works for this summer that will affect travel.

A portion of the south corridor of the Capital City Bikeway, along Kellogg Boulevard from St. Peter Street to Jackson Street, will be constructed, starting in July. Work includes adding a new separated bikeway and sidewalk on the north side of Kellogg Boulevard, signal improvements and sewer work. The second phase of the project, from St. Peter Street to West 7th Street, is

scheduled for 2025.

Minnesota Street from Kellogg Boulevard to 6th Street will be reconstructed. Work includes paving, sidewalks and underground utilities. Improvements are being made to increase safety, add a bikeway connection and upgrade aging infrastructure. The second phase of the project, from 6th Street to 11th Street, will take place next year.

The Kellogg and 3rd Street bridge, including Kellogg Boulevard from Broadway Street to Mounds Boulevard, will be reconstructed late this year. Work will begin by December at the earliest and take about three years to complete.

If funds come through, the City will begin rebuilding the 85-year-old eastbound Kellogg Boulevard RiverCentre Bridge and the

Exchange Street viaduct. Improvements include building a shared pedestrian and bike lane through the Exchange Street viaduct – connecting the Sam Morgan Regional Trail (Shepard Road) to the future Capital City Bikeway on Kellogg Boulevard – and improving the RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center loading dock access ramps located under the bridge.

Work will also be done to improve utility infrastructure.

It seems to have been a record winter for the formation of potholes. Patching is underway across the city. To report potholes, call 651-266-9700 or email potholes@ci.stpaul.mn.us. For more information, visit stpaul.gov and search “pothole patching.”

Saints baseball / Page 3

Photo by Valarie Namen

Sample St. Paul

Storm Chaser

from page 1

“My first tour was in 2010,” she said. “I couldn’t find anyone to go with me, so I went alone. Unfortunately, we got skunked.” Things improved from there, however. In all her years of storm-chasing she has seen a tornado in all but three tours. Most outings are quite eventful, with one producing seven tornados.

“When you see one coming it’s just mind-boggling to watch,” said Namen. “The cloud formations are stunning. You have these moments that are so amazing, like the sunsets you see after a storm. It’s crazy-cool stuff that you get to witness.”

Most tour groups are small and travel together in an 8-passenger van, staying in hotels along the way and eating at odd hours. They typically travel to states in the infamous Tornado Alley – Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas – where the storm season runs from mid-April to mid-June. It’s not uncommon for them to drive 4,000-5,000 miles on a week-long trip for the

chance to witness a secondsor minutes-long tornado. While the adrenaline is high when one is spotted, the days and hours leading up to that moment can be monotonous and dull. It’s been described as “extreme sitting.”

“It’s hurry up and wait, a lot like the military,” said Namen, who as a young woman spent three and a half years serving in a U.S. Air Force military police unit in Athens, Greece.

Namen was drawn to law enforcement at an early age. After graduating from Henry Sibley High School (now Two Rivers) in Mendota Heights, she earned a bachelor of science in law enforcement from Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato). After college she enlisted in the Air Force. Back in the states she was a Hennepin County sheriff’s deputy for seven years. In 1998 she started her 20-year career with the St. Paul Police Department and served in several roles before retiring in 2018, including police officer, patrol, vice, nar-

cotics, family violence and supervisor of the mounted patrol.

A dangerous hobby

Namen saw her first tornado on May 31, 2011, in Campo, Colo.

“It was amazing,” she said. “It was all open fields, and we watched the entire development of the storm, from the super cell to the wall cloud to the tornado forming and touching down. It was picture-perfect in that the sun and blue sky were behind it. It was very slow moving and took about 30 minutes to go from one side of the road to the next. Then a rainbow came out and a perfect white tornado dropped next to it.”

Her group was safely 8 miles behind the tornado, which caused no damage since it was out on the open plain.

The most imminent dangers of storm chasing include being struck by lightning, large hail or flying debris, as well as threats related to flooding and downed power lines. Few chasers have been killed by a tornado itself. Most injuries result from auto accidents, from hydroplaning to hitting – or swerving to miss – animals or other debris on the road.

“It’s not the tornados that kill,” said Namen, “it’s the debris.”

The largest tornado Namen has ever witnessed was in El Reno, Okla., and it was a doozie. It was one of the widest tornados ever recorded, reaching 2.6 miles wide, and it’s the one that put her in the Zero Meter Club.

The multiple-vortex tornado touched down 6:03 p.m., Friday, May 31, 2013,

and traveled 16 miles in 40 minutes over mostly open terrain eight miles southwest of El Reno. Wind speeds were clocked at 302 miles per hour, among the highest ever observed. The tornado claimed the lives of eight people, including four storm chasers, the first known deaths in the nearly 70-year history of storm chasing. Three of the men were doing research and one was an amateur.

Namen recalled that she and her group were about 10 miles behind the massive storm when the tornado suddenly switched directions.

“We were going south and the tornado turned east, cutting off our route to the south,” she said. “Now we were going toward the tornado, which is not what you want to do. The best place to be is behind a tornado. They can go straight. They can go left or right, but they can’t stop and reverse.”

As Naman and her group were traveling down the highway, they watched with amazement as the storm started dropping multiple tornados. She said the main tornado instantly morphed from a quarter-mile wide to nearly 3-miles wide in the span of three minutes. Debris filled the air.

“We drove past a farmhouse and saw the roof get ripped off,” she said. “It dropped right in front of us and we drove right over it.”

She was in the passenger seat during the storm and at one point the intense pressure from the storm blew out her window.

“My first thought was does everyone have their seatbelt on because if we lose more windows we might lose people,” she said. “But everyone kept their cool. It wasn’t until we got out of range and pulled over to inspect the vehicle that we knew it had

been a close call.” Remarkably, there was very little damage to the vehicle.

Namen has traveled with several tour operators over the years. She is adamant about picking ones that put safety first and don’t accept adrenaline junkies. Tours last 7-10 days, with an average price of $2,200. Each day starts with a briefing by the tour guide and a meteorologist. The group might spend half the day chasing the storm before the conditions are right for it to spawn a tornado. As they cruise along, the group can view charts and graphs that the meteorologist uses to track the storm and learn about the science of tornados and how to predict them.

Namen said many tornados occur in the mid- to lateafternoon, so groups arrive in a predicted tornado location well ahead of that time. Then the waiting begins. It’s during this time that she and others take photos and video of cloud formations, eat and find other ways to pass the time.

Chasing tornados has given Namen a new-found respect for the raw power of nature. For anyone interested in observing a tornado, she recommends using a reputable tour company. She stresses not to do it on your own. If you happen to be on the highway and see a tornado, don’t try to outrun it. She said to get out of your car and lie down in the lowest place possible, such as a ditch.

Here’s more sage advice from a member of the Zero Meter Club.

“Don’t stop under an underpass,” said Namen. “That’s the worst thing you can do because wind speeds increase as they are funneled through them. The chance of your car getting picked up or you getting sucked from your vehicle is now 10 to 20 times worse.”

Valarie Namen near a tornado in R ozel, K an.

Night Club

from page 1

themselves are interdisciplinary artists who enjoy contemporary and experimental art. They also plan to host other events at the gallery this summer, such as performances, art fairs and film screenings. Beatrez and Noble don’t show their own artwork at Night Club art gallery; they exhibit in Minneapolis.

The 1,900-square-foot space is a product of St. Paul Downtown Alliance’s Grow St. Paul program that pairs start-up businesses with vacant storefronts and provides short-term rent-free leases. Beatrez and Noble applied to the program last fall and were thrilled to be selected. Their space was formerly the Red Sea Market convenience store.

“We would like to keep running the gallery space

even beyond the six months that the Downtown Alliance has provided us with,” said Beatrez. “We learn so much during every single show that we have.”

Noble said the gallery is funded through the commissions it receives on the sale of artwork. They also look for other funding sources.

“We got a $10,000 grant last year from the Midway Contemporary Art visual arts fund and we gave that to artists as a stipend to participate in a show and cover shipping costs.”

While this is the second exhibit at the gallery, it’s the owners’ 11th overall. Their journey as gallery owners began after each graduated with a master of fine arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in the spring of 2020. At that

Saints baseball

from page 1

of only three independent professional baseball teams in the country to make the jump to a Triple-A affiliate of a major league baseball league team. Key players this season include infielder

Edouard Julien, outfielder

Matt Wallner, and pitchers

Bailey Ober, Louie Varland, Simeon Woods Richardson and Brent Headrick. The lineup may also occasionally include major leaguers rehabbing from injuries.

Home game opponents in May are Nashville May 2-7, Indianapolis May 9-14, and Omaha May 2328. Each game will have its own promotion. Copa de la Diversion on Friday, May 5,

embraces the culture of Latino players in minor league baseball. It will feature Latin foods, samba and tango dancing, and a mariachi band. Players will wear special jerseys that read Santos de San Pablo. Totally Rad Vintage Fest on Sunday, May 7 will feature vendors selling vintage items, everything from records to typewriters to comic books. Knock on Wood night, Wednesday, May 10, features activities geared toward the superstitious. Other home game promotions throughout the season include Pride Night, Star Wars Night, PLAAAAAAAY BALL with actor Patrick Renna (who

Publisher & Editor: Tim Spitzack

Copy Editor: Leslie Martin

Staff Writers: Jake Spitzack

John E. Ahlstrom

time, they moved into a house in Minneapolis and began hosting art exhibitions there. It was their attempt to allow the public to view art since so many galleries were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At

first, they displayed artwork in the home’s large picture windows so it could be enjoyed by those who walked by. Then, as pandemic precautions diminished, they featured art in their living room and other spaces, let-

ting people come inside for the full experience. They held nine exhibitions over two and a half years, featuring more than 40 artists from Minnesota, California, New York, Canada and even

Switzerland. Night Club art gallery is open 1-5 p.m., Fri.-Sun. Admission is free. For more information, visit nightclub. gallery.

starred in the movie “The Sandlot”), Marvel’s Superhero Night, and All You Need Is Your Birthday Suit. The Saints will also give away shirts, magnets, bobbleheads and other prizes on various dates.

While each home game has its own special promotion, days of the week also have their own themes. Tuesdays highlight travel and Wednesdays have activities that teach about Minnesota. Thirsty Thursdays feature $2 beers and two-for-one Bud Light seltzers. Post-game fireworks are back on Fridays, complete with music and light shows. Firework Super Shows are presented May 28, July 3 and Sept. 3. On Saturdays, visitors are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts,

Contributor: Roger Fuller

Delivery: Independent Delivery Service

and on Sundays, families can let their kids run the bases and get player autographs.

Oh yes, the Saints have a new ballpig. Last year’s pig Chop Gun: MaveRib has stepped aside to allow the confident little piglet named Mud Grant to take to the diamond. This little piggy

is from Montreal, Canada, and was chosen in February after the swine tryouts. The name was suggested by Bud Rosenfield of Minneapolis, winner of the Name the Pig contest.

The 8,000-seat CHS Field saw an average of 6,582 fans at each game last season, a 9% increase from 2021. For tickets or more information, visit milb.com/st-paul.

Emma Beatrez and Lee Noble are operating their gallery rent-free for six months thanks to St. Paul Downtown Alliance’s Grow St. Paul program. They hope to make the gallery permanent.

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The gravy train is flowing at the Big Biscuit Bar, which recently opened in the former Handsome Hog space in the Park Square Court Building, 400 N. Sibley St. The restaurant is owned by Madison Equities’ Madison Restaurant Group, which owns seven other restaurants in St. Paul including the neighboring Noyes and Cutler Steakhouse. The Big Biscuit Bar serves breakfast and lunch with a southern flair. Its signature item is, as you might guess, biscuits baked fresh every morning. Surprisingly, the restaurant is not open on weekends, although that may change in the future. This decision was made to avoid competing with the large brunch buffet offered at Noyes and Cutler on weekends 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Big Biscuit hours are 7 a.m.2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“We moved the Handsome Hog in 2020 to a building on Selby that had

Manager Charice Bakke prepares an espresso at Big Biscuit Bar. The restaurants seats about 80 and has a menu loaded with biscuit sandwiches, biscuits smothered in sauces, and classic southern favorites such as shrimp and grits and country fried steak. Its full bar features specialty drinks such as the breakfast old fashioned and the big smokey bloody mary.

more space,” said Jim Crockarell, owner of Madison Equities. “We’ve been planning on opening a restaurant in place of the Handsome Hog for six to eight months

now…. It was just a matter of changing it from a barbeque evening restaurant to a breakfast and lunch one.”

The Big Biscuit Bar seats about 80 and has a menu

loaded with biscuit sandwiches, biscuits smothered in sauces, and classic southern favorites such as shrimp and grits and country fried steak. Its full bar features

specialty drinks such as the breakfast old fashioned and the big smokey bloody mary. The restaurant offers curbside to-go service on Sibley Street.

Heading the kitchen at both Big Biscuit Bar and Noyes and Cutler is chef Aaron Cave. Jorge Robertson manages both restaurants. Cave and Robertson have both been with Madison Restaurant Group for a little over a year. At the Big Biscuit Bar, Cave will be assisted by chef Matt Running, who was previously a line cook at Noyes and Cutler.

Crockarell is also moving forward with his plan to convert the upper four floors of office space in the Park Square Court building into a 138-unit Marriott Hotel. Madison Equities has owned the building since 2005.

“We had expected to start construction this summer but it’s really difficult now to get construction financing at a good interest rate,” said Crockarell. “The architecture is done, we’ve taken

Big changes at Park Square Court Building Acacia Park Cemetery

bids on the construction, and Marriott has approved the building, so once our money is lined up, we’ll start construction.”

It’s expected to take about a year to complete construction, with the hotel opening in late 2024 or early 2025. The construction will not affect the Big Biscuit Bar, Noyes and Cutler, or the Green Lantern Night Club, which is in the basement. Both restaurants offer patio dining in the summer.

“The Big Biscuit Bar will be the breakfast venue for the Marriot hotel and Noyes and Cutler will be the evening steakhouse venue for the hotel,” said Crockarell. “The [nearby] A’bulae wedding event center is also in a building we own so we expect a lot of the wedding parties to stay at the hotel and eat breakfast at the Big Biscuit.”

The Big Biscuit Bar is located at 203 E. Sixth St. For more information, visit bigbiscuitbar.com

a pristine beauty and strategic location that was recognized by our state’s earliest settlers. Pilot Knob, the plateau on which Acacia Park is situated, was an early 19th Century viewing point for such frontiersmen as Zebulon Pike and Josiah Snelling.

A Day of Remembrance Memorial Day is May 29

Please join

Our beautiful cemetery is conveniently situated on the Pilot Knob plateau above the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in Mendota Heights. We are proud of our majestic scenery and natural environment that is uninhibited by upright monuments, which creates a stunning park-like setting. We have provided quality, personal service to families since 1925. We offer the following options to our families:

• Sections specifically designed for casket or cremation burial

• Convenient no-interest pre-payment plans for three years

• No-obligation information and tour of the cemetery grounds

• Markers, vaults, vases and urns for purchase

• Newly developed cremation gardens

• Serving all faiths

2151 Pilot Knob Road, Mendota Heights | 651-452-1555 | www.acaciaparkcemetery.org

Established in 1925, the 75-acre park offers

{ THE FULLER FILES }

Metro Transit plans to spend $6 million over the next two years to supply additional security at six transit stations. The stations include Central Station in downtown St. Paul, four in Minneapolis and one in Brooklyn Center. Allied Universal will supply unarmed security personnel to supplement Metro Transit’s police force. Ridership has increased 23% on busses and trains in the first months of 2023 over last year. Between 120,000-140,000 passengers ride each week. Before the pandemic, weekly ridership was about 250,000.

Ecolab, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, will spend $2 million to convert a concrete plaza and sidewalk into community green space. The 26,000-square-foot area, bounded by Ecolab headquarters, Landmark Center and the Historic Hamm building, is expected to open next year landscaped with trees, native plantings and park benches. The site is owned by the City and Ecolab. Ecolab will fund the initial construction and the City of St. Paul and the St. Paul Parks Conservatory will lead development and implementation of the project.

The fate of the recently dismantled 1852 Justus Ramsey house from the patio area of Burger Moe’s restaurant on West 7th Street is now uncertain. Don Kohler and Rita Dalbec had plans to reassemble the house elsewhere in St. Paul for their private residence but have since decided to build a new house instead. The house is in storage in its dismantled state and the Fort Road Federation is looking for someone to reassemble it within

the city.

St. Paul intends to have its first fully electric firetruck by 2025. It will cost about $1.8 million, about twice the cost of a traditional diesel fire engine. The move is part of the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan, which seeks carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030.

New sidewalk poems will appear on city sidewalks this year, thanks to a contest sponsored by St. Paul Public Art and St. Paul Almanac. The poems of 15 winners will be stamped into new sidewalk sections that will replace damaged sections.

A proposed $392 million community land bridge project for the Rondo neighborhood has received $2 million in federal funding for an environmental impact analysis, traffic study and community outreach. The project would span I-94 for several blocks between Chatsworth and Grotto streets and is expected to attract new jobs, housing, businesses and public space to St. Paul’s African American cultural enterprise district.

Minnesota Book Awards will present Stu Abraham with its 2023 Kay Sexton Award at its annual ceremony on May 2 at the Ordway Center. The award is given to someone who has made a significant contribution to literary life in Minnesota. Abraham, a sales manager in the publishing industry for four decades, has supported books published by local small publishing houses including Coffee House Press, Graywolf Press and Lerner Publishing, as well as national publishing houses. He has also worked and volunteered as a conduit, connecting

NowApplicationsAccepting

Paraprofessional - Work with students in a classroom assisting teachers, before/after-school child care OR supervise groups of students. Full-time or part-time.

Starting base wage $19.63/hr. (DOQ).

Bus Drivers - Safely transport students to and from school. Paid training & CDL certification. Starting base wage $22.90/hr. (DOQ).

Nutrition Services - Prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for students. Starting base wage $16.50/hr.

Custodian - Perform cleaning, event set-up/clean-up, and ensure safety of buildings. Full-time starting base wage $21.76/hr. Part-time and seasonal starting base wage $16.80/hr. (DOQ).

Kids Club Supervisor - Lead a school-age child care program in one of our elementary buildings and supervise paraprofessional staff. Full-time, 12-month. Starting base wage $21.50/hr. (DOQ).

For more information and to apply: sowashco.org/careers

by Roger Fuller

writers, readers, publishers and bookstores.

Minnesota Transportation Museum, 193 Pennsylvania Ave. E., has an exhibit on Black railroad workers during the early 20th century. The “Twin Tracks” exhibit shows how they worked as red caps, Pullman porters, cooks and waiters, and repaired tracks and locomotives. The hours were often grueling but these were some of the best paying jobs Black men were hired for at the time. The decent salaries were a gateway to the middle class for Black people, as exemplified by the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul.

Laugh Camp Comedy Club, 490 N. Robert St., will present Steve Gillespie, May 5-6; Mandee McKelvey, May 12-13; Larry Reeb, May 19-20; and Adrian Washington, May 26-27. Zeitgeist quartet will perform the works of Douglas Ewart at 7:30 p.m., May 12-13, at Studio Z, 275 E. 4th St.

Subtext Books, 6 W. 5th St., will present Jim Ruland, author of “Make It Stop,” at 7 p.m., Friday, May 12. St. Paul Farmers Market will host a market 10 a.m.2 p.m., Wednesday, May 3 at Union Depot. The main

The St. Paul Farmers Market operates a weekday market at Union Depot 10 a.m.-2 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month through October. You’ll find more than 20 vendors on the North Plaza selling a wide selection of fresh food, local crafts, pet products and other items. In inclement weather, the market will be held inside the Union Depot Head House. For more information, visit uniondepot.org/farmersmarket.

market at Fifth and Wall is open 7 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays. Free parking and pedicab delivery service is available.

Penumbra Theatre , 270 Kent St., is presenting

“What I Learned in Paris” through May 14. The play follows a group of campaign workers in Atlanta after the mayoral race of 1973.

Books and Bars will discuss “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus at 7 p.m.,

West St. Paul's Best SecretKept

Thursday, May 18, at Urban Growler, 2325 Endicott St. The skyway walking group meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays at U.S. Bank, 101 5th St. E. The group travels a mile and a half through the skyways at a casual pace.

170 E. Emerson Ave., West St. Paul manager.realifewsp@gmail.com 651-455-1340 www.realifewsp.net

West Side Cinco de Mayo festival making a comeback

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

The West Side took a hard hit in 2020 when the pandemic forced the cancellation of the neighborhood’s wildly popular Cinco de Mayo festival. At that time, the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, which had organized the celebration since 2009, indicated it would be back, but that never happened under their leadership. Last fall, members of the West Side Boosters Club saw the writing on the wall and began planning to resurrect the event, albeit on a much smaller scale. The Foundation declined to say why it dropped the event.

To the relief of many, the cherished Cinco de Mayo Fiesta will return this year 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, May 6, at Parque Castillo, 149 Cesar Chavez St. The event will feature bands, a lowrider show, softball tournament, 40 food and vendor booths, and more. Proceeds will go toward youth sports programs sponsored by the Boosters Club.

“It’s exciting to be able to do this and to know it’s run by the community,” said club president Bob Cruz. “We’ve had a lot of people reach out to do this…. A lot of vendors are people who grew up in this community. We’re giving them an opportunity to thrive, and giving the community a chance to come out and have a good, safe time.”

Music will be presented all day. The line-up is: Kalpuli Huitzillin, 10 a.m.; REGAL and Camila 11 a.m.; Los Alegres Bailadores, noon; Mariachi Lucero 1 p.m.; Chico Chávez Orchestra 2 p.m.; Shayla Carbajal, 3 p.m.; Tequila 2023, 4 p.m. Several food trucks will be on site throughout the day. Bags and balls will fly at 10 a.m. when the first round of the adult softball and cornhole tournaments kick off.

A lowrider show featuring 30-40 vehicles also kicks off at 10 a.m. Some of the vehicles will participate in a hydraulic bounce competition. Awards will be given in several categories.

Portions of State Street

and South Clinton Avenue will be closed off for the event and St. Paul police officers will provide security. Local restaurants will also host specials and entertainment throughout the weekend.

“Please come out and celebrate with our community,” said Cruz. “Now it’s [the event] not so big. We’re trying to bring it back to the West Side. Come celebrate our culture.” He said the Boosters will organize the event again next year if they can get enough sponsors. As of press time they had 18 sponsors this year.

“The community is pretty psyched about getting it back,” said West Sider Debby Luna, who has helped organize events for the fiesta in the past. “Hopefully each year we’ll get a little bigger. A parade is probably going to be the first thing they [the Club] will shoot for having next year. Not to the caliber it was, but some kind of little parade… If a lot of people want it to happen, then hopefully more people will jump on board to help make it happen.”

The Cinco de Mayo fes-

tival was first organized in 1985 by the former Concord Street Business Association (later renamed the Riverview Economic Development Association). It grew from a small community festival to a regional two-day event that attracted more than

100,000 people. After becoming too much for the small nonprofit to handle, the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation took over its management and made it a one-day event. The celebration formerly took place along Cesar Chavez

Street between Wabasha and South Robert Street, and featured a colorful parade, lowrider show, jalapeno eating contest, food and musical entertainment. For more information on this year’s celebration, visit westsideboosters.com/cincodemayo.

File photo by Marina Castillo

The lowrider show will feature 30-40 vehicles.

Dog Friends

My husband, Peter, is trying to impress a local collie. Peter knows better than this. He had a collie for many years. Collies are not easily impressed. They have their own priorities and their own agenda and if it happens to coincide with yours, you can pretend they did something on your behalf – but you’d be lying to yourself.

The current object of Peter’s affection is named Lassero and lives on a road Peter takes every day on his hike. Peter met the collie one day when the dog was sticking his head through the curtains of its owner’s house. Peter learned his name from the collie’s owner and went on to

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

assume that he and the collie would be fast friends. From then on, as Peter walked by, he called out, “Lassero!” but the collie ignored him.

Peter decided to bring treats. He brought a cookie and put it on the windowsill. The collie did not come. On

the way home, Peter checked the windowsill. The cookie was gone. Peter did this for several days running.

“Maybe Lassero’s owner is finding the cookies,” I said. “Maybe he is throwing them away!” Peter was not convinced.

Then one day, Lassero was at the open window. Peter offered him a cookie. Lassero ignored it. He put it down on the sill. The pooch poked it with his nose. He eventually ate it but did not seem excited.

“I don’t think Lassero likes cookies,” Peter concluded. The next day, he went out and bought corn chips.

“If he didn’t like cookies, he’s not going to like corn chips!” I said. “He’s waiting for organic sun-dried beef chips.” Peter looked as if he was considering this.

Cinco de Mayo 5k Family Run returns May 6

The 2023 Cinco de Mayo

5k Family Run will be held 3:45-4:45 p.m., Saturday, May 6, at Joseph’s Grill, 140 Wabasha St. Hosting the event for the 21st year is the Minnesota National

Latino Peace Officers Association, Minnesota State Chapter. Participants will either travel a 3.1-mile scenic route along Harriet Island or choose a virtual option and

run anywhere, anytime. Registration is $40 before April 30, $45 before May 5 and $50 the day of the race. Register at andersonraces. enmotive.com.

“I could take chicken,” he said.

“You can’t take chicken on your hike!” I figured there wasn’t much Peter wouldn’t do to capture this dog’s affection.

Then he had an idea. “Popcorn! Dogs love popcorn even more than beef!” He packaged up some popcorn and put it in his backpack. “Lassero!” he called. The dog didn’t answer. Peter left popcorn on the windowsill. On his way back, he checked. The popcorn was still there but one piece had been moved. It was now in tiny, wet pieces. Apparently, Lassero didn’t like popcorn either.

Some dogs will do anything for affection. Some will give you affection once they figure you’ve earned it. And some are always going to play hard to get. I had a feeling that Lassero might not be in the market for more friends, but I didn’t want to break this to Peter.

Even though it sounds funny, it’s a little sad. I’ve been ignored and ghosted by folks I thought were my friends. I realized – a little too late – they were not actually my friends. They already had friends, and I wasn’t one of them. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dog or a person. The realization still hurts.

“You have lots of dog

friends,” I reminded my husband. There’s Reacher, who he calls the “Reacher Creature,” a giant canine that jumps up in delight when he sees Peter. There’s Bucky, who has very short legs and lies down on the sidewalk when Peter talks too long with Bucky’s owner. There are several tiny dogs who walk on his route every day and bark in excitement every time Peter goes by. And somewhere, just behind the curtains of his home, is Lassero, ignoring Peter every day.

doesn’t know what he’s

I told Peter. And he doesn’t. Till next time.

Fitzgerald Theatre

10 E. Exchange St. St. Paul

651-370-2953

first-avenue.com

The New Pornographers, 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 3. Tickets start at $35. An Evening of Bharatanatyam by Alarmel Valli, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 6. $27.50.

Minnesota

History Center

345 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-259-3000 mnhs.org

Our Home: Native Minnesota includes historic and contemporary photographs, maps and artifacts. Visitors learn how Minnesota’s native communities have retained cultural practices, teachings and values.

Other exhibits include Minnesota’s Greatest Generation, Then Now Wow,

History Theatre

30 E. 10th St. St. Paul 651-292-4323

Historytheatre.com

“The Defeat of Jesse James” is presented April 29-May 28. Set in 1876, this mix of honky-tonk cabaret and wild west show reenacts the infamous outlaw’s rise and fall, with a grand finale set in Northfield, Minn. Tickets start at $48 for adults.

Landmark Center

75 5th St. W. St. Paul 651-292-3225

landmarkcenter.org

St. Paul Civic Symphony’s Annual Mother’s Day Concert, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, May 14. Free.

MN Children’s Museum

10 7th St. W. St. Paul 651-225-6000

parodies of the Mona Lisa, and replace Mona Lisa’s face with your own.

Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out is the new featured exhibit May 20-September 3. Learn about emotions, memory and imagination through interactive and digital experiences.

The Backyard: The Mud Zone is a new exhibit opening in an outdoor space in late May. Mix dirt and water to create different types of mud, mix up a gourmet muddy meal in the mud kitchen, and use catapults and air cannons to launch mud at various targets.

Other exhibits and activities include The Scramble, The Studio, Creativity Jam, Sprouts, Our World, Forces at Play, Shipwreck Adventures and Imaginopolis.

The museum is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays. Tickets are $14.95. Admis-

Kickoff to Summer at the Fair returns May 25-28. The event includes food, brews, music, shopping, free parking and family fun at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Tickets are $12.50 in advance online; children age 4 and under are free. Save $3 when you buy in advance. For more information, visit mnstatefair.org/kickoff-to-summer.

MN Museum of American Art

350 Robert St. N. St. Paul 651-797-2571 mmaa.org

“Im/perfect Slumbers” is on display through August 20, in the M’s window galleries and skyway

tions captures the historical and contemporary state of sleeping and being in bed.

“Colonial Traumas” is an installation in Skyway 28 over Wabasha Street at 4th Street in downtown St. Paul. Created by Luis Fitch, the mural features colorful, vinyl cut-out skulls that

way windows above Robert Street. Created by Jose Dominguez, it features colorful vinyl creatures that “play” hide and seek with passerby.

Ordway Center

345 Washington St. St. Paul

S ample St. Paul

ents “Don Giovanni,” May 6, 11, 13-14, 18 and 2021. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m., Sundays.

The Schubert Club presents The Kanneh-Masons, 6 p.m., Sunday, May 7, at Rice Park. Free.

Singing the World Awake, 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 12. Tickets start at $25. No One Stands Alone: a community celebration of youth music, 2 p.m., Sunday, May 21. Free.

Happy Hour Concert: Mozart’s Paris Symphony with Jonathan Cohen, 6 p.m., Thursday, May 25. $20.

Express Concert: Mozart’s Paris Symphony with Jonathan Cohen, 8 p.m., May 26-27. Tickets start at $12.

RiverCentre

175 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651- 265-4800 rivercentre.org

Fraser Festival, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, May 20. This sensory-friendly festival supports autism programs and services, and features face painting, a virtual reality

activity, carnival games, silent disco and more. Food vendors will be present. Free.

Minnesota Bridal and Wedding Expo , 12:30-5 p.m., Sunday, May 21. Free tickets can be found online. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Schubert Club

302 Landmark Center 75 W. 5th St. St. Paul 651-292-3268 schubert.org

Museum Mini: Christian Adeti, 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 1, on the Schubert club website. Learn about the djembe – a West African instrument – in this free, 15-minute interactive session.

140th Anniversary Celebration Concert by the Kanneh-Masons, 3 p.m., May 7, at the Ordway Music Theatre. Tickets start at $36.

Spotlight On: Patricia Hampl – “Writing My Way into Music,” 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 16, at Summit Beer Hall. $33. Courtroom Concerts are held at noon on Thursdays at the Landmark Center. All are free. Upcoming concerts include Isles Ensemble, May

4, and Clara Osowski (mezzo soprano), Casey Rafn (piano) and Steve Staruch (tenor), May 11.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul

651-221-9444 smm.org

Exquisite Creatures is on display through September

4. Explore the planet’s biodiversity by viewing preserved animal specimens arranged in intricate patterns.

Community Curators is a temporary exhibit on display through June. Each month, community artists, educators and organizers interpret items from museum collections alongside their own work. It also features conversations with curators

about the selected objects and their meaning to their cultural community.

Artist at Pine Needle Gallery is a temporary exhibit featuring work from a variety of artists at the Pine Needles cabin on the St. Croix Watershed Research Station property.

Omnitheater films –

“Born to be Wild,” through June 10. Join scientists who are rescuing and raising orphaned orangutans and elephants throughout Kenya and Borneo.

“Wings Over Water,” through September 4. Follow the migrations of winged creatures as they return home to raise the next generation of waterfowl.

Stellar Tours Live Digital Telescope Show, Wed.Sun. at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Choose your own space adventure and experience the Omnitheater’s new Digistar 7 projection system. Omnitheater tickets are $9.95. Free for children ages 3 and under.

Museum tickets range from $9.95-$34.90, with discounts available for those with limited incomes.

Xcel Center

199 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-726-8240

xcelenergycenter.com

Blink-182 , 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 4. Tickets

start at $115.50. 93X Twin City Takeover starring Disturbed, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 6. Tickets start at $35.

Shania Twain, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 17. Tickets start at $258.

Janet Jackson , 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 30. Tickets start at $25.95.

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We’ve been covering the downtown beat for nearly 30 years, keeping you informed of community issues, business openings, arts and entertainment happenings, residential and commercial developments, and more. Downtown has changed much in recent years and we want to make sure we are addressing the issues that matter most to you. If you have a suggestion for something we should cover, email us your thoughts. We welcome leads on societal issues, downtown residents with a fascinating background, businesses that are celebrating milestone anniversaries, etc.

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Downtown St. Paul Voice

City picks final design for Pedro Park, finally

In late March, the City of St. Paul’s Parks and Recreation department announced the final design for Pedro Park. As shown here, it features a shelter, cafe tables, bench seating, a play area, plaza, pet zone, pocket gardens, fountain/splash pad, a diagonal path through the park, and a bee lawn, which includes low-growing perennial flowers and grasses that provide food and nesting spaces for bees and other pollinators. The city will work with the nonprofit Friends of Pedro Park and the St. Paul Parks Conservancy to find the funds for the build-out of the nearly half-block park. During the

fundraising process, the city is expected to add interim park features, such as grass, trees and benches. No timeline is set for when the park will be complete.

Since 2017, Pedro Park has been home to a .45-acre flower field with very few trees, amenities or community programming. The land was donated by the Pedro family following demolition of the Pedro Luggage building. The creation of a park in this neighborhood was originally called for in the 2006 Fitzgerald Park Precinct Plan. For more information, visit www.stpaul. gov and search Pedro Park.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Waiting lists change and may be open. Please call the property to inquire.

For developmentally disabled individuals.

Summer hours begin at many churches in late May. Check schedules online or call.

DOWNTOWN

Church of St. Louis, King of France 506 Cedar St. 651-224-3379 stlouiskingoffrance.org

• Church of the Assumption 51 W. Seventh St. 651-224-7536 assumptionsp.org

• Central Presbyterian 500 Cedar St. 651-224-4728 centralforgood.org

• First Baptist 499 Wacouta St. 651-222-0718 firstbaptiststpaul.org

• Church of St. Mary 267 8th St. E., #100 651-222-2619 stmarystpaul.org

WEST SIDE

Cherokee Park United 371 Baker St W 651-227-4275

cherokeeparkunited.org

• La Puerta Abierta UMC 690 Livingston Ave. 651-558-1896

• Our Lady of Guadalupe 401 Concord St 651-228-0506 www.olgcatholic.org

St. Elizabeth Orthodox 125 Congress St E 651-424-0814 seocc.org

• St. Matthew Catholic 490 Hall Avenue 651-224-9793 st-matts.org

• St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship 371 Baker St. W 651-291-0647 saintpaulmennonite.org

WEST ST. PAUL

Augustana Lutheran 1400 Robert St. S. 651-457-3373 augustana.com

• Community Christ the Redeemer 110 Crusader Ave W 651-451-6123 ccredeemer.org

• Crown of Life Lutheran Church & School 115 Crusader Ave. W. 651-451-3832 colwsp.org

•

Faith United Methodist 1530 Oakdale Ave. 651-457-5686 faithumcmn.com

• Mizpah River Ministries 1530 Oakdale Ave. 651-399-5783

• Riverview Baptist 14 Moreland Ave. E. 651-457-3831 riverviewbaptist.net

Salem Lutheran 11 Bernard St. 651-457-6661 salemluth.org

•

St. George Antiochian Orthodox 1250 Oakdale Ave. 651-457-0854 saintgeorge-church.org

•

St. James Lutheran 460 Annapolis St. W. 651-457-9232 saintjameslutheran.com

•

St. Joseph’s Catholic 1154 Seminole Ave 651-457-2781 churchofstjoseph.org

•

St. Stephen’s Lutheran 1575 Charlton St. 651-457-6541 ststephenswsp.org

SOUTH ST. PAUL

Luther Memorial Church 315 15th Ave N 651-451-2400 luther-memorial.com

• St Augustine’s Catholic Church 408 3rd St N 651-455-1302 holytrinitysspmn.org

• First Presbyterian 535 20th Ave N 651-451-6223 fpcssp.org

• Woodbury Lutheran Wakota Ridge Campus 255 W. Douglas St. 651-739-5144 woodburylutheran.org

South St. Paul Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist 140 6th Ave N 651-455-0777

• Grace Lutheran Church 149 8th Ave S 651-451-1035 grace-ssp.org

• Holy Trinity Catholic Church Catholic church 749 6th Ave S 651-455-1302 holytrinitysspmn.org

• Clark Memorial United Church 779 15th Ave. N. 651-451-7278 clarkgraceucc.org

• St Sava Serbian Orthodox church 357 2nd Ave S 651-451-0775 stsavamn.org

• Saint John Vianney Catholic Church 789 17th Ave. N. 651-451-1863 info@sjvssp.org

• Sf. Stefan Romanian Orthodox Church 350 5th Ave N 651-451-3462 sfantulstefan.org

• St Mary ’s Coptic Orthodox Church 501 6th Ave S 651-455-8947 stmarymn.org

Water Lily Montessori