Downtown St. Paul Voice December 2022

Downtown St. Paul

The loss of a legend

Leslie Martin Staff Writer

Weiming Lu, the internationally renowned urban planner who was instrumental in revitalizing St. Paul’s Lowertown, died on October 4 at age 92. A native of Shanghai, China, Lu grew up in poverty and fled with his family to Taiwan because of politi cal unrest. After obtaining a degree in civil engineering he moved to Minnesota to obtain a master’s de gree in structural engineering at the University of Minnesota. He went to work for the city of Minneapolis and helped create the Nicollet Mall and the skyway system. At a time when cities were bulldozing older build ings for roadways and highways, Lu promoted historic preservation and the re-envisioning of downtowns. The title of his book summarizes his approach, “The Tao of Urban Reju venating: Building a Livable Creative Urban Village.”

Lu headed the Lowertown Rede velopment Corp. (LRC) for many years and was instrumental in the effort that preserved historic build ings in St. Paul’s 16-block warehouse district and transformed them for residential use. His designs also pro moted the arts and green space. Lu was active in the development of Mears Park, Union Depot, St. Paul Farmers Market, the Saints baseball stadium and major projects in cities worldwide. He was a popular lecturer and wrote extensively on urban plan ning topics.

Your Guide to Experiencing the Magic of the Season

Schubert Club celebrates 140th anniversary

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Over the past 14 decades, the St. Paul-based Schubert Club –Minnesota’s first performing arts or ganization and one of the country’s oldest – has brought some of the world’s finest classical music soloists and ensembles to the Twin Cities and regularly showcases the talent of local musicians. In honor of its 140th anniversary, a special concert has been added to the 2022-23 sea son line-up and a new scholarship is being awarded to three high school musicians seeking higher education in performing arts. The organization also launched a $2 million fund raising campaign to support music education, which it has already sur passed.

The most wonderful time of the year has arrived and along with it a wide array of festive events that will help you experience the magic of the season – all just minutes from your home. Our annual Holiday Event Guide helps you make the most of it. Frosty fun begins here.

Holiday Event Guide / Page 5

The special concert will feature an up-and-coming group from the UK, the Kanneh-Masons. They will per form at 3 p.m., May 7, at the Ordway Center, as part of the Club’s Interna tional Artist Series.

“Probably the most famous of the siblings is Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who performed at the royal wed ding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018,” said Schubert Club communications director Kristina MacKenzie. “He kind of launched to fame, but his sister Isata and the others became famous in past years, too. It’ll be the first time in the U.S. that all seven siblings will perform together on stage.”

St. Paul Athletic Club to become event venue

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

When the St. Paul Athletic Club closed for good in March 2020 the fate of its 105-year-old building was left hanging in the balance. The owner of the property, John Rupp, refuses to let the historic structure die. He has saved the building from the wrecking ball several times before and is confident his

new plan will ensure the building remains anchored in downtown St. Paul for years to come. Work is un derway to remove all the athletic equipment from two floors of gym space to make way for two new ball rooms, expected to open by next June. The building al ready has one ballroom.

“The building will be a top-of-the-market event center in the east metro area within the next 18 months,”

said Rupp. “It’s a very unique, very high-quality hotel product.”

The building’s third floor ballroom is open for wed dings and other events. The two that will open in June will be of similar size – able to seat 300 – and include bride and groom prepara tion rooms, social bar space and dancefloors. The new ballrooms will be on floors five and eight. Another event space will be built on floor

14 by June 2024, and more renovations will take place based on demand.

“Each one will be a little different,” said Rupp. “The interior décor is going to be sufficiently different and respectful of the historic building.” The building will also have a separate space for wedding ceremonies.

The century-old building is home to Hotel 340, a 60room boutique hotel. Half the rooms are currently re

served for homeless women and children being served by Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities. Rupp reserves the other half in 10-room blocks for people attending weddings at his building.

“The Union Gospel Mis sion is absolutely a first-class operation,” said Rupp. “The ladies that are there with the kids are highly respect ful. There has proved to be absolutely no problem with running the banquets on

the lower floor of the build ing and having the shelter on the top of the building. They [Union Gospel Mis sion] intend to relocate at some point, and then I’ll open the other half of the hotel back up, but I’m not impatient for them to go at all. They can stay as long as they want.”

Rupp said he has no plans to return to traditional

Event venue

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nightly rental to the public.

“There isn’t demand for us to do that,” he said. “Before the pandemic, we were do ing very well…but it’s sui cide to do it in the current downtown conditions.”

The Athletic Club and the YMCA in Lowertown were some of the largest indoor exercise facilities in down town. Rupp said member ship has slowly declined over the past 25 years, and the pandemic kicked the club over the edge. The Y closed its branch in Cray Plaza in 2020 and later announced it would build a new center in the Osborn 370 building. The pandemic put a halt on those plans as well.

Before deciding to open

the additional ballrooms in the former St. Paul Athletic Club space, Rupp worked hard to build support for using his building as a com munity center and nonprofit business center but couldn’t find the partners to make that happen.

“I didn’t want the build ing demolished,” said Rupp. “This is a world-class build ing with a world-class bud get. It was really a reach for the city to build something that magnificent at that time, when the city was a lot smaller in population… It anchors the center part of the city. I’m proud of what I did, and I’m not done. When this gets reopened, I’m confident this will stay for a long, long

time. It becomes a regional amenity, where before it ex isted on whether or not there were enough people living in apartments or wanted to stay after work and work out in an athletic club downtown. Now I can get people from all over the metro area.”

The St. Paul Athletic Club opened in 1917 boasting a bowling alley, barber shop, billiard room, sleeping rooms, squash courts, sun deck and more – and thrived for more than 70 years. The building was designed in the English Renaissance style by renowned architect Allen Stem, who created other no table buildings near and far, including New York City’s Grand Central Station and the University Club of St. Paul, also now owned by Rupp.

In 1959, the Athletic Club building was renovated to add penthouse dining to the 14th floor, and in 1980

1989 and soon thereafter everything inside was set for auction, including valuable structural elements such as the marble columns, carved stone banisters and English oak paneling. Just one hour before the auction was to be gin, a Minneapolis developer that once had been a jointventure partner with Rupp, purchased an option to buy the building, saving it from demolition. He changed his mind, however, and the building sat vacant for five

years, slowly slipping into disrepair. In the meantime, Rupp, who saw the value of the Athletic Club and the building itself, was working on a rescue plan. In 1995, he purchased it with the goal of restoring it to its former glory.

“It’s a long, complicated story but when I bought it, it was in bankruptcy and the pipes were all broken and it hadn’t had any heat in five years so there was a foot and a half of ice on the inside of

the lobby,” he said. “Then it went through a bankruptcy reorganization when the fi nancial collapse happened in the 2008 to 2011 period. In my 25 years, I’ve worked it out of financial morasses that are not caused by the build ing itself but by externalities. This is the third time. So, I’ve decided, this is it. If there’s a fourth one of these, I think at that time somebody else is going to have to do it. I’m hoping, as they say, the third time’s the charm here.”

Schubert Club

New this year is the Music Promise Scholarship, which provides $5,000 in scholar ship funding to three teen age musicians in the Twin Cities. One young musician was already awarded a schol arship, and the club is work ing with other local music organizations to determine candidates for the other two. Also new this year is the elimination of application costs for all scholarships. The Club’s oldest scholarship, the Bruce P. Carlson Student Scholarship Competition, is celebrating its 100th year and will award $70,000 be tween 45 students by the end of March. The competition has 15 instrument categories and the top three musicians in each category will receive a scholarship. The competi tion is named in memory of Bruce P. Carlson, Executive Director of Schubert Club from 1968 to 2006.

Shubert Club is wellknown for its variety of music series held each year September through June. The International Art ist Series was founded in

1893 and stages recitals for world-famous instrumental ists and vocalists. This year, it features one or two recit als per month in November, December, February, March and April, at the Ordway Center.

The Music in the Park Series presents chamber music ensembles and other musicians at the intimate setting of St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, 2129 Commonwealth Ave. This year, at least one per formance is held in October, November, February, March and April. The series was founded by Julie Himmel strup in 1979 and merged with Schubert Club in 2010 after she chose to step away.

In 2014, the Club began Schubert Club Mix, a series that takes the formality out of classical music perfor mances. Events take place at nontraditional venues, such as the Bell Museum and Summit Brewery, and you may find some attend ees in jeans and sweatshirts. The series features both vet eran and emerging artists. At

least one performance is held in September, November, January, March and May this year.

Other concert series in clude Courtroom Concerts and Accordo concerts. Courtroom concerts are held most Sundays, noon1 p.m., at the Landmark Center, featuring both new and well-known local mu sicians. Accordo is a string collective made up of current and former musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Its concerts this year are held once or twice a month in October, Decem ber, February, May and June, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Min neapolis. In addition, the Club started its Digital Con cert Series in 2020. One live performance is uploaded to the Schubert Club website each month. Performances are handpicked from each of the Club’s music series.

Ticket prices for all concert series and subscriptions vary. Predated only by the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orches tra, Schubert Club was founded in 1882 by Marion Ramsey Furness, daughter of

Governor Alexander Ramsey, and some of her friends. At that time, it was a recital club dubbed “The Ladies Musicale.” Soon, the club began presenting concerts, lectures and study groups. Before long, the name was changed to honor the com poser Franz Schubert. To learn more about the his tory of Schubert Club or classical music, visit the Schubert Club Music Mu

seum on the second floor of the Landmark Center. Cre ated in 1980 and redesigned in 2020, it has two exhibits with interactive activities and a wide variety of antique instruments from around the world. Admission is free. For more information, visit schubert.org.

“Schubert Club has seen two World Wars, incredible societal changes, advances in technology, recording,

performing, and the way we hear and experience music, and now two global pan demics,” said Schubert Club Artistic and Executive Direc tor Barry Kempton. “The fact that the organization is still around today means that we’ve been able to not only survive these events but evolve and adapt, and we want to continue to do that moving forward.”

Contributor: Roger Fuller

Church of Saint Matthew • 510 Hall Avenue, St. Paul www.st-matts.org • (651) 224-9793 Here the love of Christ shall end divisions. All are welcome.

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, November 24 – 9:00 am (livestreamed)

Saint Paul Civic Symphony Concert Sunday, December 4 – 3:00 pm

Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Vigil, Wednesday, December 7 – 7:00 pm Thursday, December 8 – 7:00 pm

Christmas Bake Sale, Boutique and Tea

Saturday, December 10 – 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Sunday, December 11 – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Santa Breakfast

Sunday, December 11 – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Communal Penance Service

Sunday, December 18 – 2:00 pm

Christmas Eve

Saturday, December 24 – 4:15 pm (in-person)

Christmas Day

Sunday, December 25 – 10:15 am (in-person and online)

Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God Vigil, New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31 – 4:15 pm (in-person) New Year’s Day, Sunday, January 1 – 10:15 am (in-person and online)

You may participate online: Facebook (www.facebook.com/churchofstmatthew) or YouTube (www.youtube.com/churchofstmatthew)

Delivery: Independent

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Meal Deal 2-topping

Publisher & Editor: Tim Spitzack Copy Editor: Leslie Martin Staff Writers: Jake Spitzack John E. Ahlstrom

{ THE FULLER FILES }

Visit St. Paul and the RiverCentre Authority are seeking a new president and CEO. Terry Mattson, who has served in that role for nine years, is departing when his contract ends in February 2023. The organi zation has launched a search for his successor, who must have experience in market ing, relationship-building and tourism.

Listening House - A district court judge has re moved a hold on the plan for Listening House of St. Paul to build a daytime shelter for homeless people at the site of the former Red’s Savoy restaurant at 421 E. 7th St. Listening House is now free to proceed with the project and access $1.4 million in tax increment funding from the city. Business owners in the area had filed a lawsuit to halt the project, citing possible nuisance at the site.

Listening House closed its shelter at 296 7th St. ear lier this year after neighbors complained about unsavory behavior by some of the people who used the facility.

The Justus Ramsey Stone

House on West 7th Street is the subject of a demolition application filed by Moe Sharif, owner of Burger Moe’s restaurant. The house, built in 1855, is located on the side patio of Burger Moe’s and has a partially collapsed wall. Historic St. Paul, the Historic Irvine Park Association and the Fort Road District 9 council sup port the preservation of the house. Some preservationists have suggested the building be dismantled and reas sembled at a different site. The Heritage Preservation Committee will review the matter and decide whether to support the demolition.

Mississippi River Learn ing Center - A final design has been finalized for the proposed Mississippi River Learning Center at Crosby Farm Regional Park. The center would be owned by the city, which would lease space to the National Park Service, Wilderness Inqui ry and other river-related tenants. Over the next six months, organizers will develop ideas for commu nity programming and seek

by Roger Fuller

funding. For more details, visit greatriverpassage.org. St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation has named the recipients of its annual Fac ing Race Awards, which hon ors people and organizations that work to eliminate rac ism. They are Angela Hooks, founder and executive direc tor of the nonprofit Black on Black Development and En tertainment; Txongpao Lee, executive director of Hmong Cultural Center; Lulete Mola is co-founder and president of the MN Black Collective Foundation; and Classie Dudley is president of the Duluth NAACP and executive director of Com munity Action Duluth.

NEOO Partners Inc., a downtown St. Paul-based commercial real estate firm, recently received the New Kid on the Block Award from the St. Paul City Coun cil, honoring a business that has opened in St. Paul within the last five years. The firm was founded by D’Angelos Svenkeson and Denetrick Powers.

Construction has begun on the Gold Line, a $505 million bus rapid transit route between St. Paul and Woodbury. The line will op erate between Union Depot in downtown St. Paul and Woodlane Drive Station in

Woodbury, with stops in Oakdale, Landfall and Ma plewood. It will offer service every 10 or 15 minutes and is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

The Hamm Clinic has moved from the historic Hamm Building to the Comcast building at 10 River Park Plaza on the West Side. The clinic occupies half of the seventh floor, increas ing its space from 8,300 square feet to 13,000 square feet. The nonprofit mental health clinic was founded in 1954 by Margaret Hamm Kelley, granddaughter of Theodore Hamm of the Hamm brewing family. It is currently looking for a permanent executive direc tor. Linda Ewing is serving as interim director. PAK Properties plans to convert the Hamm Building from office space to residential.

The Girl Scouts of Min nesota and Wisconsin Riv er Valleys has received a $4.2 million gift from philanthro pist MacKenzie Scott. It is part of $84.5 million that Scott gave to the national organization.

Victoria Theatre , 825 University Ave., received $1 million in state bonds to support renovation of the century-old theater. Organizers have raised $4.3 million toward the $5.5 mil lion project. The renovated theater will have a 120-seat

auditorium with remov able seating, and classroom and gathering spaces. The Frogtown Neighborhood Association, the Center for Hmong Arts and Historic St. Paul have worked together to save the building from demolition.

St. Paul Parks and Rec reation has waived fees for basketball and other indoor sports for ages 9-18 for three years. This is made possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Visitors at the winter ver sion of the St. Paul Farm ers Market at 5th and Wall streets will stay toasty thanks to new overhead heaters at the market. The project was made possible by a $20,000 federal grant. The winter market is held 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays, beginning Dec. 3.

Laugh Camp Comedy Club, 490 N. Robert St., will present comedians Steve Gillespie Dec. 2-3, Jessi Campbell, Dec. 9-10, Ali Sultan, Dec. 16-17, and John Bush, Dec. 30.

East Side Freedom Li brary will present a History Revealed program via Zoom at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8. Adam Bledsoe will discuss activism in African Ameri can history. For more infor mation, visit esfl.org/events.

Community Christmas trees will shine brightly at two downtown locations this winter: at Rice Park, courtesy of The Salvation Army, and at Union Depot, on its lawn. A tree lighting ceremony at the Depot is held December 3.

The skyway walking group meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays near the security desk at the First National Bank building. The group travels a mile and a half through the skyways at a ca sual pace. No meeting Nov. 22.

Minnesota Sinfonia will present its annual holiday concert at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, at First Covenant Church, 1280 Arcade.

Christmas carols and holiday favorites will be performed.

SteppingStone

Theatre

will present, “The Snowy Day” based on the book by Ezra Jack Keats, Dec. 1-23, at Park Square Theatre. Per formances will be held Dec. 2-4, 10-11, 17-18 and 2023.

Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., will present its annual Christmas show, “Black Nativity,” Dec. 1-24. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m., Wed.-Fri.; 2 p.m., Saturdays; and 4 p.m., Sun days.

Saint Paul Civic Sympho ny will present “East-West / North-South,” a concert of symphonic music from around the globe, at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4 at St. Mat thews Catholic Church, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. It features “China Dreams” by Bright Sheng (East); Symphony No. 8 by Lud wig van Beethoven (West); “Reedbird” by Emilie Doo little (North); and Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (South).

St. Mary's Lowertown

Roman Catholic Church

Pondering the Word with the Heart of Mary Advent & Christmas Octave Holy Hour with Sung Vespers

All Thursdays in December, 5-6 pm

Solemn Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of Obligation)

Thursday, Dec. 8, Masses at Noon & 6:00 pm

Christmas Eve Masses

Saturday, Dec. 24

Carols with St. Mary's Schola, 4:30 pm Mass, 5 pm

Midnight Mass, 11:30 pm, Chanting Carols

Christmas Day Masses Sunday, Dec. 25

Mass, 7:30 a.m.; 10:30 am with Choir

Vigil of the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Saturday, Dec. 31, 4:30 pm Mass

Solemn Feast of Mary Mother of God Sunday, Jan. 1 Mass 7:30 am; 10:30 am with Organ and St. Mary's Schola

GLOW Holiday Festival

CHS Field will be trans formed into a winter won derland Nov. 23-Jan. 1. The GLOW festival features more than a million lights, a 60-foot-tall tree, Charity Flame, and much more. Vis itors can hang out at sElfie Plaza, enjoy a 150-foot tube slide, play on the Penguin Playground, navigate the Reindeer Run maze, roast up a tasty treat at Smores Stations and more. Some activities have an additional cost. Tickets are $20.75 for adults, $12.75 for children ages 5-12, and must be pur chased in advance at glow holiday.com. Entry times are reserved every hour starting at 5 p.m. each night. Ticket holders can enter at any time within the allotted hour and stay as long as they like. The last reserved entry time is 8 pm. GLOW closes at 9 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, and 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday.

James J. Hill House

Holidays on the Hill tours are held Nov. 25-Dec. 31. Check out both floors of the 1910 Gilded Age man sion of railroad titan James J. Hill. Admission includes

self-guided access to holi day-themed exhibits and a 60-minute guided tour high lighting holiday stories and memories from both the Hill family and their staff. Tours start every half-hour, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $18; free for ages 4 and under.

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Holiday Flower Show, Dec. 3-Jan. 8, in the Sunken Garden. This year’s show will feature a white poinsettia accented with other handselected plants.

Ice Castles

Ice Castles return to New Brighton this year. Visi tors can enjoy ice slides, ice sculptures, an ice bar and more. Tickets go on sale Nov. 28. For more informa tion, visit icecastles.com.

Germanic American Institute

Christmas in Germany is held 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Dec. 3-4, 301 Summit Ave. Free. This is the institute’s annual open haus, but with a new name. Guests can experi ence some of the traditions of German Christmas. Taste

Lebkuchen cookies baked by the GAI Damenklub, drink Haus brewed Glüh wein (mulled wine) and lis ten to German carols sung by the Minnesänger Chorus and 4Winds quartet. Season al goods will be sold outdoors by various vendors, Weih nachtsmarkt style. For more information, visit gaimn.org and search “Christmas.”

Christmas in Germany dinner is held 5-8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10. Enjoy a holiday program and a multi-course dinner catered by Lake Elmo Inn. Tickets are $80.

Stammtisch Christmas Lunch is held 11:30 a.m.noon, Tuesday, Dec. 13. $15, registration required. Attendees can register dinein or curbside pick-up. There will be a short Christmas program with readings and songs for those dining in.

Schmidt Lofts

Holiday Market

At least 30 artists will be selling their work from booths 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 25-26, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 27, in the Brewhouse of Schmidt Artist Lofts, 900 W. Seventh St.

St. Paul Hotel

“It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is pre sented Dec. 1-23. The clas sic 1946 Frank Capra film has been adapted into a radio drama for the stage. The performances feature actors and sound effects to help guide the audience’s imagination. Tickets start at $89 and include a 3-course meal. Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and

5 p.m. Sunday. To reserve tickets, call 651-228-3860 or visit www.saintpaulhotel. com.

Holiday Afternoon Tea, 1-3 p.m., Wed.-Sun., Dec. 1-30. Events feature a tea time fashioned after Eng land’s afternoon tea, a sea sonal chef-inspired menu and live piano music. The event will not take place Dec. 24 or 25. $60.

Art House North

Sara Groves Christmas Show, 7:30-9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9 at Art House North, 793 Armstrong Ave. W. Sara Groves and her band will play music from her Christmas records, among other originals and cov ers. Complimentary Brake Bread desserts and decaf Dogwood coffee are served.

The GLOW festival will transform CHS Field into a winter wonderland Nov. 23-Jan. 1, 2023, with festive displays.

Holiday events

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $45 through Nov. 28, and $55 on later dates. VIP tickets are avail able for $75 and includes 45 minutes with Sara beginning at 6 p.m., additional dessert, cider and coffee, and a Sara Groves T-shirt. For more information, visit arthouse north.com/events.

Circus Juventas

“Solstice” is presented Dec. 9-18, at the Big Top located at 1270 Montreal Ave. As forest creatures pre pare for the great winter solstice celebration, a ripple runs through the frosted wood. Jack Frost has gone missing, swept away to the lair of the Summer Sor cerer, who is determined to usher in an age of eternal heat. Only the caretakers of the seasons can free Jack in time to stop the sorcerer and bring in winter. Shows start at 7 p.m., Fridays, 1 and 7 p.m., Saturdays, and 1 p.m., Sundays. $25-$45.

Minnesota Sinfonia Holiday Family Concerts are held Dec. 1 and 3 featur

ing classical music, Christmas carols, Chanukah tunes and more, including Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from “The Messiah,” a selection from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” and an original arrangement of Ukrainian carols. Performances are 7-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, at First Covenant Church, 1280 Arcade St., St. Paul, and 2-3

p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, at Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. For more information, visit mnsinfonia.org.

Open Window Theatre

“Nicholas,” is presented Dec. 2-29 at Open Window Theatre, 5300 S. Robert Tr., Inver Grove Heights. This

Fresh and Fragrant Christmas Trees

The holidays are here and the St. Paul Farmers' Market has everything you need to celebrate. In December, you'll find Christmas trees; fresh meat, produce and spices for your holiday feast; and heaters for your shopping comfort.

Tree Lot Opens Nov. 25

Open Daily Mon.-Fri. 11 am - 7 pm Sat.-Sun. 9 am-7 pm Outdoor Winter Market Opens Dec. 4 Saturdays 9 am-1 pm Event calendar at: stpaulfarmersmarket.com

play dives into the inspiring story of the real-life Father Christmas, St. Nicholas of Myra, who lived during the fourth century. His adven turous life of faith, com bined with his heroic gen erosity and humble service of the less fortunate, would eventually become the basis for our modern-day Santa Claus. Tickets are $28, with

discounts for students and se niors. For more information, visit openwindowtheatre.org.

O’Shaughnessy Auditorium

The following take place at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine University, 204 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. St. Paul Ballet presents “The Nutcracker,” 7 p.m.,

Dec. 2, and 2 and 7 p.m., Dec. 3. Pay what you can; suggested adult donation of $35.

Katie McMahon presents

Celtic Christmas 2022 , 7:30, Friday, Dec. 9. Enjoy traditional Christmas carols, stories and lively Irish dance. McMahon will be joined on stage by her band, singers and the Rince na Chroí Irish Dancers. $5-$28.

Ballet Minnesota presents “The Classic Nutcracker,” 7 p.m., Dec. 16, and 2 p.m., Dec. 17-18. $5-$45.

Union Depot

Union Depot, 214 4th St. E., St. Paul, is hosting the following Hub for the Holidays events.

European Christmas Market, Nov 25-Dec. 18, on the East Plaza. Visitors can shop for handmade crafts from more than 20 local vendors, drink Glüh wein (spiced mulled wine), taste European inspired delicacies, and participate in family friendly activities. Admission is free. The event is based on the festive openair Christkindl Markets that spring up in Germany, Austria, and other European

THE SNOWY DAY

And Other Stories

By Ezra Jack Keats

Tree lighting and movie night takes place 5-9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, at Union Depot.

oliday Event Guide

countries during the Advent season. Hours are 4-9 p.m., Fridays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat urdays, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sundays.

Tree Lighting and Movie Night, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3. Attendees should gather in the waiting room at 5 p.m. for free cider, craft stations, light-up wand give aways for kids, the St. Paul Winter Carnival 2023 but ton reveal and more. The Mistletones will present a holiday concert at 5:30 p.m. Tree lighting is at 7 p.m. in the North Plaza, followed by fireworks and a holiday sing-along. The movie “Elf” is presented at 7:30 p.m., in the waiting room. Visi tors are encouraged to bring blankets for seating. Free.

Holiday Bake Sale, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, in the waiting room. Shop from more than 30 local bakery and food ven dors and enjoy musical per formances. Free gift bags are given to the first 200 people to arrive.

The Canadian Pacific

Holiday Train, 5-8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 12. The train shows up at 7 p.m. and pres ents a 45-minute concert. Arrive early to shop and view model trains. Visitors will have a chance to receive giveaways.

The North Pole Express, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Dec. 2-4 and 8-11. Take a short train ride to the North Pole to meet Santa and his elves. Tickets are $36 for adults and $26 for children age 12 and under.

St. Paul Parks & Rec.

Holiday events take place at rec centers across St. Paul Dec. 10, 13 and 15. All events are free, but registra tion is required for most. For more information, visit stpaul.gov and search “win ter events.”

Dinner with Santa, 5:307 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, at Duluth and Case Recre ation Center, 1020 Duluth St. Families can enjoy food, crafts and a visit from Santa.

Santa’s Workshop, 5:308 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13,

at Battle Creek Recreation Center, 75 Winthrop St. S. Kids ages 6-18 may purchase and wrap gifts for their par ents, siblings or friends. All gifts will be under $1. Limit of $10 per child; cash only. Parents must stay in a wait ing area while their child is in the workshop.

Community Holiday Dinner, 6-7:30 p.m., Tues day, Dec. 13, at Hazel Park Recreation Center, 645 Ha zel St. N. Families can enjoy a light dinner (while food supplies last) and holiday activities.

Winter Wonderland , 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13, at North Dale Recreation Center, 1414 St. Albans St. N. Ages 12 and under. Visi tors can take part in activities and enjoy a visit from Santa.

Once Upon a Holiday Movie Night, 6-8:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15, at Phalen Recreation Center, 1000 Wheelock Parkway E. Visi tors may wear their pajamas and bring their blankets. Hot chocolate and snacks will be provided.

The annual Holiday Flower Show is held Dec. 3-Jan. 8, 2023, in the Sunken Garden at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.

saintpaul.edu/SpringStart

is presented at select times Nov. 30-Dec. 31. Tickets

Christmas with Cantus: , 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 16. Tickets start

Park Square

20 W. 7th Place 651-291-7005 parksquaretheatre.org

“The Snowy Day” is presented Dec. 1-23. Cel ebrate the joy of the seasons through a child’s eyes in this new, ensemble-driven production that explores connections to water and the changing of the seasons. Ticket pricing varies based

RiverCentre

175 W. Kellogg Blvd. 651- 265-4800 rivercentre.org Minnesota Hmong New , 8 a.m.-8

St. Paul Ice Fishing & Winter Sports Show, 1-8 p.m., Dec. 2; 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Dec. 3; and 9 a.m.4 p.m., Dec. 4. Shop more than 190 exhibitors. Tickets are $15 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12 and free for children five and under.

Minnesota Roller Derby, , Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Roy Wilkins Auditori um. Tickets start at $12.50.

Schubert Club

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

KidsJam: Journey through Afro-Brazilian Music with Ticket to Bra , 10:30 a.m., Nov. 29-30, at the Schubert Club Music Museum. Tickets start at $5.

ample St. Paul

Harpist Bridget Kibbey, Schubert Club’s 2022-2023 featured artist, and Alexi Kenney, violin, will perform at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, and 7:30 p.m., Dec. 2, at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. Tickets start at $28.

Museum Mini: Kevin Newton, 10:30 a.m., Mon day, Dec. 5. Kevin Newton of Imani Winds will play the French horn and teach about how it works. This is a vir tual event. Free.

Accordo concert , 7:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 5 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Tickets start at $28.

Songs of the Season: Car ols by Minnesota Compos ers, noon-1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Landmark Center. Free.

Digital concert series: A performance of Anne Sofie von Otter and Kristian Be zuidenhout will be featured on the Schubert Club web site at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15. Tickets are $10.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul 651-221-9444 smm.org

Nature All Around Us is presented through January 22, 2023. Discover the hid den worlds and rich ecosys tems within familiar places and explore how trees cool neighborhoods, how streams carry storm water away from homes, how spending time in nature keeps people healthy, and more.

Omnitheater films“Backyard Wilderness” is presented through January 31, 2023. Peek inside dens, nests and ponds to meet the creatures that live there.

“Dream Big” is presented through December 31. Ex plore engineering marvels from around the world and learn how engineers push the limits of innovation in unexpected ways.

Omnitheater tickets are $9.95. Free for children age 3 and under.

Sensory Friendly Sunday

is hosted the first Sunday of the month. Visitors can ex perience a lights-up, sounddown Omnitheater show at 10 a.m. The program was created in consul tation with the Autism Society of Minnesota.

Admission is free for per sonal care attendants when visiting with a client.

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

Disney On Ice presents “Find Your Hero,” 7 p.m., Dec. 8; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., Dec. 9; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m., Dec. 10; and 1 and 5 p.m., Dec. 11. Tickets start at $20.

Trans-Siberian Orches tra, 3 and 7:30 p.m., Fri day, Dec. 23. Tickets start at $49.50.

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ostscript

Shelley’s Hats

Recently we attended the memorial for my husband Peter’s oldest sister, Shelley. Shelley went through a long battle with cancer, and Peter lost his second sister in two years.

Shelley’s husband died at the beginning of the pan demic and she moved 900 miles across the country to live near her kids. Almost immediately she learned

that she was gravely ill. She moved in with her son, Joel, and daughter-in-law, Dani, and never left.

Shelley had several opera tions that did not go well, then chemo, which did not make her feel better, and fi nally she died peacefully, sur rounded by the family who loved her so much. Mean while, all the things she had packed up in the moving van remained in a storage unit.

Shelley was a woman of style, a striking beauty all her life. She dressed in bright colors, coordinating every outfit with care, and

whenever the occasion called for it, she wore a hat. So, I thought I’d wear a hat to her memorial.

I am not generally a hatwearing person, but I like to dress up, and a day dedicat ed to remembering Shelley seemed like an occasion that called for it. I ordered a fancy black hat.

Peter liked the idea, and emailed Dani.

“Did Shelley have some other hats you could bring to the service that people could wear if they wanted?” he wrote.

He got no response.

This was unlike Dani. Dani has the biggest heart of anyone I know. When Shel ley was in the nursing home for several months, Dani organized it so that Shelley had a visitor every single day she was there. Dani planned parties for Shelley’s birthday, took her to all of her doctor appointments and cooked for her every day.

“I screwed up,” Peter said. “I didn’t mean to make more work for Dani.”

I decided to wear my hat, regardless. I knew that Peter’s ex-wife planned to attend, which caused me a twinge of concern. She is a reserved and sensible person – two adjectives rarely applied to me – and was unlikely to show up in headgear the size of a hula hoop. No matter, I thought. Shelley would have liked it.

On the day of the me morial, we walked into the funeral home and saw Dani wearing a hat. Next to her was her daughter, also in a hat. As I entered the lobby, I saw hats on the back of the chairs, over the lamps, sitting on the tables. They were everywhere, and they were all Shelley’s hats.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to do it,” Dani confessed. “That’s why I didn’t answer you. They were all in storage. But one day, I had a couple

of hours, and I said, ‘what the heck!’ I had to empty about a third of the storage unit until I got to this huge washing-machine box. It was

filled with hats and hatboxes. I started to empty it, but I couldn’t reach the bottom. So, I climbed in and kept emptying it. Then I couldn’t get out!”

Dani didn’t tell us how she eventually got out of the washer box. It was ap parently not dignified. But the result was magnif icent. Every woman wore a hat. Everyone took their hat home as a memory of Shel ley, and I can only imagine how delighted she would have been.

Funerals tend to end up looking alike, and we all go to too many of them. But no one will ever forget the sea of colorful hats, a little bit of Shelley in every one. Till next time.

Henry named chief of police

The City of St. Paul has tapped a St. Paul native and 24-year veteran of its police force as its new chief of police. Commander Axel Henry began a six-year term on November 19. He suc ceeds interim Chief Jeremy Ellison, who led the depart ment following the June 1 retirement of former Chief Todd Axtell.

Henry joined the depart ment in 1998 after serving three years with the Roseville Police Department. During

his tenure with St. Paul Po lice, he has served as a patrol officer, sergeant, commander in the Central District, and senior commander of the city’ busiest district – the Eastern District – from 2016 to 2019. He has also served in command positions in the Office of the Chief and Family and Sexual Violence Unit and was logistics chief for St. Paul’s emergency response at the start of the pandemic. Since 2019, he had been commander of

Narcotics, Financial Intelli gence & Human Trafficking. Henry holds a bachelor’s in business administration and accounting, and a master’s in educational leadership and administration from the University of St. Thomas. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Command College at FBI Quantico and University of Virginia Master’s Program, and the Wilder Foundation’s James P. Shannon Leader ship Institute.

Twin Cities Jazz Fest names new executive director

Next summer’s Twin Cities Jazz Festival will be memorable in more ways than one. It marks the 25th anniversary of the event and the swan song for its founder and executive director. Steve Heckler will retire at the cul mination of the 2023 event and pass the baton to Dayna Martinez, who will succeed him as executive director.

Martinez comes to the Twin Cities Jazz Festival from the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, where she most recently served as vice president of program ming and education. She has served in many roles at the Ordway. She began working in development and the box

office then spent several years as contract manager. Since 2012, she has also served as director of the annual Flint Hills Family Festival, held at the Ordway. She has a bachelor’s degree in music from Avila University and a master’s in performing arts

management from Colum bia College-Chicago. She serves on the boards of the St. Paul Festival Association and the Minnesota Present ers Network and is actively involved in the Association of Performing Arts Profes sionals.

Heckler founded the Jazz Fest in 1999 as a small sin gle-day event in downtown Minneapolis. He grew it into one of the largest free civic jazz festivals in the Midwest. Today, the festival is held in St. Paul at Mears Park and other downtown venues. The 2023 event is held June 2324. For more information, visit twincitiesjazzfestival. com.

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

Dayna Martinez