South St. Paul Voice January 2023

South St. Paul

Projects in the pipeline

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

Several economic development projects are slated to take place in South St. Paul in 2023. As always, timelines and contracts are subject to change, but here’s what’s in the works right now.

Asian Mart

Watson Fong of Watson Trading LLC is expected to begin construction of a 7,500-square-foot commercial building on the west side of Concord Street, immediately south of Stockyards Tavern & Chophouse. The one-acre site would be home to a specialty grocery store called Asian Mart, as well as two smaller retail tenants. The Economic Development Authority (EDA) approved a $100,000 purchase and development agreement for the property in early July and set a closing date of December 31. In early December, that date was pushed back to February 28 to allow for further planning and bidding. According to the purchase agreement, construction must begin by August 31 and be complete within one year. Watson Trading has applied for a variance to have a walk-up service window on its north wall so deli customers may pick up food without entering the building. Fong operates an Asian Mart in Burnsville.

DCHS to reopen Lawshe Museum Jan. 21

Renovated space features three new exhibits

Local author publishes debut novel

Tim Spitzack Editor

Spitzack Staff Writer

After more than a year of extensive remodeling, the Lawshe Museum in South St. Paul is set to reopen on Saturday, Jan. 21. Visitors will find new exhibits as well as several upgrades to the second floor public and meeting spaces, and the building is now fully ADA (American

Disability Act) accessible. The public opening takes place 1-5 p.m., with light refreshments.

The museum has been closed for the better part of three years due to COVID-19 and renovation work.

“We’re looking forward to having visitors back in the building and being able to

For more than 15 years, Margaret Blenkush’s heart was telling her to write a book. The only problem was that her inner voice failed to reveal the topic. Eventually, a harrowing health scare and a global pandemic brought things into sharp focus and the South St. Paul resident put the first words to paper. What spilled forth is her debut novel, “The Doctor of Bellechester,” a heartwarming tale that follows the challenges and triumphs of a young female doctor in a central London hospital in 1959.

The plot follows Dr. Harold Merton, a general practitioner from a rural village in the Shropshire Hills, as he arrives in London on a quest to find someone whom he can mentor to take over his practice. Merton hatches a plan to find an associate

Concord Street roadwork reaches final stretch

Jake Spitzack Staff Writer

One of South St. Paul’s busiest thoroughfares will see vast improvements in 2023. In mid-September, Dakota County hired SRF consultants to evaluate how to increase safety at intersections along Concord Boulevard, from Highway 55 to

Interstate 494. The study, including design work for intersection changes, will be complete by the end of January and construction work identified within it will be tacked on to the County’s repaving project of Concord Boulevard between Highway 55 and Interstate 494, already slated to take place this summer.

The study stems from the Dakota County Pedestrian Crossing Safety Assessment that was completed last April.

“Concord Boulevard was one of the locations we used as part of the assessment, and we originally had a study programmed for Concord to follow it,” said Dakota County Project Manager

Bryce LeBrun. “Concord in this area is kind of a unique context for a Dakota County roadway, where it has almost five miles without a stop or yield condition. With the timing of the pedestrian crossing safety assessment wrapping up, we realized we could turn around and make some improvements pretty immediately in con-

junction with the mill and overlay project.” LeBrun noted all work on Concord is expected to be complete by the end of 2023.

The intersection safety study consisted of traffic counts and analysis, online surveys for residents of South St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights, and an open house. The surveys asked

questions to determine what intersections people cross the most, how long they typically wait before being able to safely cross the road, and what would make them feel safer when crossing. The results of the survey, as well as photo renderings of possible intersection design

Jake

School

Choice Guide

One of the new exhibits highlights agriculture in Dakota County.

Lawshe

from page 1

have researchers come in,” said Dakota County Historical Society Executive Director Matthew Carter. “We have all new exhibits and the ability to swap them out more frequently than we have in the past.”

The Old Town exhibit that has been in the museum since its opening in 1978 has been replaced by four smaller exhibit spaces, one of which features Old Town artifacts and may be

used for temporary exhibits. Other Old Town artifacts are in display cases throughout the museum. The three new exhibits include one on women’s medical history from the 1870s to the 1920s, one on the history of agriculture in Dakota County, and one dedicated to Black pioneers of Dakota County. Taking the new elevator up to the second floor, visitors will find fresh carpeting and ceiling tiles, as well as a new kitchenette. The meeting space has several technology upgrades, including microphones embedded in

the ceiling, a new overhead projector system, and five hearing aid devices that connect with the microphones. Two adapters allow media to be played directly through hearing aids that have builtin Bluetooth technology.

“We’re pretty excited for that (hearing aid) technology because that was one of the things that our board members really pushed for,” said Carter. “There’s a lot of attendees that come to our programs and events that are hard of hearing. Having this technology will be huge for visitors.”

The meeting space will be used for both virtual and in-person presentations, including genealogy events, book clubs and readings by authors. The space is also available for rent for private events. Other upgrades to the building include ADAaccessible bathrooms on both floors and a new fire alarm system.

The $1.2 million renovation was funded by Dakota County. The Black Pioneers of Dakota County exhibit was made possible through a McWatt fellowship grant, and the other two exhibits

were funded by a $10,000 Minnesota Humanity Center Grant. In 2021, the Dakota, Ramsey, Anoka and Hennepin County Historical Societies partnered to form the McWatt Fellowship. Named after the late Arthur C. McWatt, former member of the Ramsey County Historical Society editorial board, the fellowship is comprised of seven people who work to connect each historical society with African American communities and identify how to preserve and present information about Black history

in Minnesota.

The Dakota County Historical Society has another project already brewing for the Lawshe Museum. The first two design phases for a new interactive children’s exhibit are complete, and DCHS will know in May if it gets a grant to pay for the final design phase. Following design work, the museum will fundraise approximately $250,000 for construction and installation costs. The exhibit will be installed in the Great Hall area, which didn’t see any changes during the recent renovation.

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but a chance encounter with a young woman alters the course of both of their lives.

“It’s not a romance book,” Blenkush was quick to point out. “It’s a book about friendships and intergenerational relationships.”

While Blenkush does not have a medical background, she does have experience with hospitals. In early 2005

she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that had her in and out of clinics and hospitals for much of that year.

“I spent 30 days in the hospital,” she said, “but it took 10 years to get healthy.”

Now in remission, the disease forced her to take disability retirement from her dream job of managing the video library for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. She got that job shortly after receiving

a master’s in library science and information services from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1991 and worked there for 12 years. Prior to that she was a director of religious education at several Catholic parishes in the Twin Cities for 13 years. She has a bachelor of arts in theology from the College of St. Benedict and a master’s degree in systematics from St. John’s University.

The pandemic was espe-

cially challenging for Blenkush because her illness forced her to stay home and have little contact with others. Solitude, however, is exactly what authors need to work their craft, and it was during that time that her novel took shape. She worked with St. Paul-based Beaver’s Pond Press over the course of a year to make her dream a reality. The title – the first in a trilogy – is aimed at the senior market, she said. With this in mind,

it is only available in large print format. Having had issues with her eyesight from her illness, she understands how important large format options are to senior citizens.

Blenkush is a life-long resident of South St. Paul. She and identical twin sister Mary were raised in a home on Seventh Avenue, where Margaret still lives today, sharing it with her nephew Phillip. The girls attended Holy Trinity Catholic school in South St. Paul through

the eighth grade, and Archbishop Brady in West St. Paul for high school, where, incidentally, their photos and names were transposed in the yearbook. She and her sister enjoy traveling together, exploring historical sites and natural spaces, and shopping.

For more information on the novel, visit www.margaretablenkush.com.

Library events

Winter Reads , January 3-February 28. This program offers the chance to win prizes. Simply read books of your choice then write a brief review to be used as an entry in a weekly prize drawing.

Book Club , 7-8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12. The title is “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/ SSPbookclub.

Block Printing: Winter Landscape Cards, 6-8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 23. Design, draw, carve, and print a set

of handmade cards using a linoleum cutter and printing block. Registration required. Geared toward adults.

Meeting dates

The South St. Paul City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Monday of each month in the council chambers at City Hall, 125 3rd Ave. N. For agendas and city council member contact information, visit www. southstpaul.org or call 651554-3284.

The Special School District 6 School Board meets at 6 p.m. the second and

fourth Monday of each month. For agendas and school board member contact information, visit www. sspps.org or call 651-4579400.

The South St. Paul Lions Club meets at 7:15 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month (SeptemberMay). For more information, visit https://ssplions.org.

Student Notes

Marcus Molumby earned a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

changes, will be uploaded to the County’s website for the project. To find the project website, visit co.dakota. mn.us and search “concord.”

The county’s pedestrian crossing assessment laid out a framework for how to make safety improvements at intersections. Changes may look different at intersec-

tions along Concord based on the specific characteristics of each, such as lighting, distance between curbs, sight lines and more. Possible alterations include adding crosswalk markings, adding crossing medians, reducing lanes or moving crossings to an entirely different spot.

“We’ll potentially have

Development

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South St. Paul Animal Hospital

David Abramowicz of South St. Paul Animal Hospital is expected to begin construction of a 12,000square-foot multitenant facility on the west side of Concord, immediately north of Al’s Corral. The animal hospital would be the primary tenant and lease several spaces to other retailers. The

EDA approved a $75,000 purchase agreement for the 1.5-acre property a little over a year ago and the closing date, which has been amended twice, is set for March 31. Construction is expected to begin by the end of August and be complete by the end of 2024. The clinic has operated at its facility at 501 Concord St. N. for nearly 100 years.

push-button rapid flashing beacons at some locations,” said LeBrun. “We try to be careful where we use those so they’re effective, but we’ve seen really good results….

One thing we’re looking at is eliminating multi-lane threats wherever possible. This means trying to eliminate a situation where a vehicle stops for a crossing pedestrian, possibly obstructing the view of a driver behind them, and that driver tries to

pass the stopped vehicle. It’s a big safety issue.”

The intersection safety project also includes work to improve the intersections along a highly-used 3-mile stretch of the Mississippi River Regional Trail on the east side of Concord, from Cahill Avenue to 65th Street East. This section is outfitted with wayfinding, and safety concerns are mostly related to poor visibility at intersections and lack of yielding

conditions for cars on cross streets. LeBrun said many of the trail and road intersection improvements will be completed at the same time since most are close together.

South St. Paul, in partnership with MNDOT and Dakota County, has been reconstructing 3.5 miles of Concord Street from I-494 to Annapolis Street since spring 2021. Work will resume in the spring on the final stretch, from Bry-

ant Avenue to Annapolis Street, and is expected to be complete by June. Twoway traffic is currently open along the Concord Street corridor, including on temporary pavement around the construction zone from Minikahda Mini Storage to Annapolis Street. For more information on the Concord Street reconstruction, visit concordstreetssp.com.

Danner Inc.

Danner Inc. is seeking to build a 17,200 square-foot office-warehouse building at its property at 587 Verderosa Ave., which it purchased in 2016. The property was previously a dump and not suited to build on. In early 2022, Danner Inc., in partnership with the city, secured a state grant and used it to clean up the property. In late October, Danner submitted a site plan to the city and applied for several conditional-use permits. The permits would

allow the new facility to have several zoning variances. Danner has operated its trucking and road construction services from its facility at 843 Hardman Ave. S., since the late 1980s. It plans to sell its current facility after the new one is complete.

Beck Enterprises

Beck Properties of Minnesota LLC is expected to complete construction of its new 28,800 square-foot

office warehouse building at 285 Hardman Avenue S. by the end of the year. The EDA sold the property to the business at the beginning of last year. The project was originally expected to be complete by the end of April, but the date was pushed back due to supply chain issues. Beck Enterprises is a transportation technology company, and has been operating from a 3,500 squarefoot facility for 20 years.

Time

John E. Ahlstrom Staff Writer

The notion of attending a football or soccer game on a pleasant autumn evening under the lights is now history and the joy of dining on a DQ blizzard has been replaced by one generated by the evil whims of Mother Nature. It’s time to go indoors and join the fans and the bands in the stands and watch a prep basketball game. With the aid and cooperation of coaches Isaac Douglas and Darren Edwards, we present our 2023 Packer Basketball Preview.

Girls Basketball

It was last season that Austin Junker, head coach of the girls basketball team, implemented the Grinnell College System, a run-and-gun style of play invented by David Arseneault. The primary tenet of Arseneault’s system is to limit offensive possessions to 12 seconds or less and put up at least 100 shots per game, with half of them 3-pointers.

For the Packers, the re-

sults of that bold decision were mixed. After posting a 4-15 record in 2020-21, Junker’s 2021-22 squad finished 8-19. If nothing else, it is likely that the Packers were the best conditioned team on the planet.

Five months ago, in midAugust, Junker resigned to accept an offer to become the athletic director at River Falls High School in Wisconsin. Shortly thereafter, his lead assistant, Isaac Douglas, was named to succeed him as the head coach of the South St. Paul High School girls basketball team.

A native of Montevideo, Minn., Douglas attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. He was the point guard on the Gustie basketball team and graduated in 2021. He wears his love of the sport on his sleeve and is exuberant and excited about his head coaching opportunity.

“I’ve been very lucky wherever my life has taken me,” said Douglas. “Montevideo is my hometown and it was a wonderful place to live and grow up. I feel the same

comfort whenever I’m in St. Peter and now I feel totally at ease and welcomed in South St. Paul.”

In July before Junker resigned, Douglas oversaw two

Basketball Preview

option, he has resorted to implementing a more traditional system that he feels will best serve his team.

The starting five for the Packers include 5’6” sophomore Scarlett Johanson and her sister, 5’10” junior Glory Johanson.

“Scarlett is our point guard. She is athletic, unselfish in distributing the ball and a steady 3-point shooter,” said Douglas. “Glory patrols the post area on both ends of the court, is an excellent rebounder and plays tenacious defense.”

Senior co-captains, 5’8” Lauren Bauer and 5’6” Anna Skwira, are two-year letter winners and 5’6” sophomore Kate Ebert rounds out the starting five.

Also included in the eightperson rotation are junior Ava Waska and seniors Bella Anderson and Anna Erickson. All three will get significant minutes on the floor and play important roles for the Packers.

Team assessment: The team has not been a viable contender in recent years, but Coach Douglas is determined to put his stamp on the program. He certainly comes with some pedigree. He is the son of the Montevideo High School basketball coach and it is our belief that his patience and enthusiasm will pay dividends in short order.

Home Schedule

All games at 7 p.m.

practices per week and, after his appointment to head coach in August, the Packers played in two tournaments. Although he found the Grinnell System an interesting

“Lauren can score from anywhere on the court and is a tenacious rebounder,” said Douglas. “Anna is our best 3-point shooter (she hit seven versus Delano) and has a unique feel for the game, and Kate is also comfortable shooting from the outside and usually draws the assignment to guard our opponent’s best player.”

Fri., Jan. 6 - Hill-Murray Tues., Jan. 10 - Mahtomedi Wed., Jan. 18 - Tartan Thurs., Jan. 26 - Holy Family Tues., Jan. 31 - Two Rivers

Thurs., Feb. 9 - Simley Wed., Feb. 15 - Hastings Tues., Feb. 21 - North St. Paul

Seniors (back row, left to right) Amanda Brings, Olivia Bonk, Bella Anderson, (front) Lauren Bauer, Anna Skwira and Anna Erickson.

Boys Basketball

The 2021-22 boys basketball team will certainly be remembered as one of the great athletic teams in school history. After posting a 26-0 regular season record, the Packers were agonizingly denied a trip to the state tournament for the first time in 51 years when senior Alonzo Dodd’s desperate 50-foot heave at the buzzer hit the back rim and caromed out. For the record, four players on that team are now playing collegiate basketball: Dodd at Texan A&M, Devin Newsome at the North Dakota College of Science, Keon Moore at Rochester Community Tech College and Shawn WestZimpel at Dakota County Technical College.

Darren Edwards, who assumed the head coaching position mid-season, returns for his first full season at the helm. In all, the Packers lost

10 players to graduation, but Edwards is not pouting. He is expecting great things from his young team.

“We got tremendous cooperation from our kids during the summer months,” he said. “Lifting weights, eating right and a very heavy dose of conditioning. It’s important that we never get outrun by our opponents.”

The starting lineup is new, but according to Edwards it is blessed with talent. Senior captains 6’7” forward America Fitch and 6’1” guard De’Vaun Simmons will play key roles.

“America is athletic, a fierce competitor, a rim protector and we should get 1215 points a game from him,” said Edwards. “De’Vaun is a slashing guard, an excellent ball handler and will likely draw the assignment to guard our opponent’s best player.”

ROGERS MASONRY

Junior captain 6’4” forward Gavin Pendergast, junior 5’10” guard Elonzo Simmons, and freshman 5’10” guard Keishion Jarmon fill out the starting five.

“Gavin is a lights-out shooter, a pesky defender, a member of the A honor roll and fills the stat sheet every night,” said Edwards. “Elonzo is a crafty guard, a good shooter and an elite ball defender. Despite his youth, Keishion is a leader on and off the court, an athletic kid who loves to slash his way to the bucket and has a marvelous future ahead of him.”

Others in the eight-man

rotation that Edwards has installed include 6’7” junior Devin Lamanna and two freshmen, 6’0” Sincere McCampbell and 5’7” Terry Carter.

“Devin came to us from the Packer hockey team and we welcomed him with open arms. He’s another rim protector and can finish at the basket as well,” said Edwards. “I’ve coached Sincere since he was nine years old and he’s a high-volume shooter and slasher. Terry will play because he is tough as nails on both ends of the court and no one outhustles him.”

Based on common sense,

most prognosticators would assume that the team would be in a rebuilding mode this season. Not so, according to Edwards. I think it is fair to officially yield the “team assessment” to the head coach: Team assessment: “The only reason why I am confident that we can be a major factor in our conference and in the post-season is because I see these kids every day,” said Edwards. “For the most part, they are doing as well in the classroom as they are on the basketball court. They refuse to be out-muscled or out-worked. And as far as the future, our seventh and

eighth grade teams are loaded with talent.”

Home Schedule

All games at 7 p.m. unless noted Fri., Jan. 13 - Hastings Fri., Jan. 20 - Simley Tues., Jan 24. - North St. Paul

Fri., Feb. 3 - Hill-Murray Sat., Feb. 4 - St. Paul Central (1 p.m.) Fri., Feb. 17 - Tartan Fri., Feb. 24 - St. Thomas Academy Fri., Feb. 28 - Two Rivers Fri., Mar. 3 - Mahtomedi

STATE FARM Stremski Agency

1560 Livingston Ave. Suite 101, West St. Paul Hogar Automóvil Seguro de Vida 651-457-6348

Looking for a new school for your student? Registration deadlines are fast approaching, so now is the time to do your homework. Families have many choices: public, magnet, parochial or charter; and for college, two- or four-year schools. This primer will help you understand the differences among them so you can select the best school for your child.

Open enrollment

Minnesota has open enrollment, which means families may choose a school that is not within their resident district. In the 202021 school year, nearly 10% of the students in the state are open-enrolled. State applications are used for open enrollment, and nonresident districts must receive applications by January 15 for the following fall, with some exceptions. Families that apply to a school not assigned

to them are responsible for their own transportation.

Public schools

Public schools are funded through taxes and operated by local school districts and a board of education. Each student is guaranteed enrollment and is assigned a school near where they live. Bussing is free for those outside of walking distance. When selecting a public school, families may want to consider class sizes, student-

teacher ratios, academic progress and extra-curricular activities.

Magnet schools

A magnet school is part of the public school system but has a curriculum focus that is used in all classes, such as environmental or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Families should ask about the school’s focus, transportation options and if there are additional fees for field trips or supplies.

Charter schools

Private groups can get a charter to operate a school that uses alternative teaching methods and innovative curriculum. These schools typically have a smaller student population and a lower student-teacher ratio. Charter schools do not charge admission, nor do they have admission requirements to enroll students. They employ licensed teachers and offer services to special needs students. Charter school students are required to take state and national assessments. If the school does not meet academic performance requirements, the charter is revoked and the school is

closed. Parents should inquire about the teaching methodology used, how academic progress is measured, if there are any special enrollment requirements or fees, and if the site is the school’s permanent location.

Parochial schools

Parochial schools are operated by a church or religious organization and have a curriculum that includes religious instruction. Class sizes and studentteacher ratio are usually small but tuition can be high. Parents should ask about tuition, scholarships, transportation, religious requirements or expectations, and

students begin at a two-year college and then transfer to a four-year college.

Public or private: Many students exclude private colleges because they think they’re too expensive. However, financial aid can sometimes make private colleges as affordable as public colleges.

Location: the distance to home should be considered. Does your student want to be close enough for meals and laundry, and to visit on weekends, or will they only come home on school breaks?

Campus setting: Many students say that campus size and feel was a big part

Fax: 651.605.2369

Academia Cesar Chavez 1801 Lacrosse Ave., St. Paul 651-778-2940

Great River School 1326 Energy Park Drive St Paul MN 55108 651-305-2780 enroll@greatriverschool.org www.greatriverschool.org

St. Paul City School PreK-12 260 Edmund Ave., St. Paul 651-225-9177

St. Paul College 235 Marshall Ave., St. Paul 651-846-1600 https://saintpaul.edu

CHARTER

Academia Cesar Chavez

1801 Lacrosse Ave., St. Paul 651-778-2940 | www.cesarchavezschool.com

Great River School 1326 Energy Park Drive St Paul MN 55108 651-305-2780 enroll@greatriverschool.org www.greatriverschool.org St. Paul City School PreK-12 260 Edmund Ave., St. Paul 651-225-9177 | www.stpaulcityschool.org

Paul College 235 Marshall Ave., St. Paul 651-846-1600

History Center

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

Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition is featured through April 2. Visitors can learn about areas of forensic science and engage in interactive crime-solving exercises. Original manuscripts, period artifacts, and investigative tools influenced and used by Sherlock Holmes are on view.

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.

The Center is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thurs.-Sun. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and college

students, and $8 for children ages five to 17.

History Theatre

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

Raw Stages: New Works Festival, Jan. 18-22. Get an inside look at the script development process and provide feedback for playwrights. The series consists of four staged readings of scripts-in-progress. Following each reading, audiences will be invited to give feedback to the artistic team and cast. Scripts include: The Kim Loo Sisters, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18; The Boy Wonder, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19; The Betty Crocker Musical, 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21; and The James Meredith Project, 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22. $30

to attend all readings or $15 for individual tickets.

The Root Beer Lady, Jan. 28-Feb. 19. Set in 1986, the story reflects on the life of Dorothy Molter, the last legal non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters, who is famous for giving root beer to canoeists. The play pushes back against the premise that her time in the North Woods made her the “Loneliest Woman in America,” as the Saturday Evening Post claimed in 1952. Tickets start at $43, with discounts for seniors, adults under age 30 and students.

Landmark Center

75 5th St. W. St. Paul 651-292-3225 landmarkcenter.org Minnesota Boychoir Winter Concert, Sunday,

The Root Beer Lady is presented Jan. 28-Feb. 19 at the History Theatre. Set in 1986, the story reflects on the life of Dorothy Molter, the last legal non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters. She is famous for giving root beer to canoeists.

Jan. 8. Performances at 1 and 3:30 p.m. Free.

Urban Expedition: Mexico, 1-3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22. Features crafts, dance, music, exhibits and food. Free.

MN Children’s Museum

10 7th St. W. St. Paul 651-225-6000 mcm.org Sparklerama, 6-9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 30. Celebrate the new year with live music, dancing, activities and crafts. $20.

The Amazing Castle is featured through Jan. 8. Travel back in time to a magical place where medieval storybook characters come to life. Explore eight themed areas and get to know the

characters that make the castle a community.

Framed: Step into Art is featured Jan. 21-May 7. Step into the 3D world of four well-known paintings, view famous prints and parodies of the Mona Lisa, and replace Mona Lisa’s face with your own.

The museum is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues.-Sun. Tickets are $14.95. Admission is free the first Sunday of each month; reservations are required. The next free date is Jan. 1.

Ordway Center

345 Washington St. St. Paul 651-224-4222 ordway.org

Sounds of Blackness’ “Music for Martin,” 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 13. Tickets start at $24.

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra presents Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 with Richard Egarr, 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 13, and 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14; Musical Distillations with Steven Copes at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21; and Express Concert: Legends/Leyendas with Maureen Nelson and Richard Belcher Jan. 27-28. Tickets start at $12.

Palace Theatre

17 7th Place W. St. Paul 612-338-8388 first-avenue.com

Brothers Entertainment New Years featuring Ilkacase, Sharma Boy, Kiin Jama and Hodan Abdirahman, 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31. Tickets start at $68.

RiverCentre

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

Land O’Lakes Kennel

Club Dog Show, Jan. 5-8. More than 1,600 canines in 197 breeds will compete for American Kennel Club (AKC) awards. Tickets are $10.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors (62+) and $5 for children ages 5-12.

Minnesota Roller Derby, 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21. Tickets start at $12.50.

Saintly City Cat Club Annual Championship Cat Show, 9 a.m., Jan. 2829. More than 170 cats from the United States and Canada will compete for the title of Best Cat. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors older than 65 and children under 10.

Science Museum of Minnesota

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

Nature All Around Us is presented through Jan. 22. Discover the hidden worlds and rich ecosystems 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“Dream Big” is presented through December 31. Explore engineering marvels from around the world and learn how engineers push the limits of innovation in unexpected ways. “Backyard Wilderness” is presented through Jan. 31. Peek inside dens, nests and ponds to meet the creatures that live there. Omnitheater tickets are $9.95. Free for children age 3 and under. Museum tickets range from $9.95$34.90, with discounts available for those with limited incomes.

The No. 1 Question I Get Joe Atkins

Dakota County Commissioner

Editor’s note: On Jan. 1, 2023, Joe Atkins begins a new 4-year term as a Dakota County Commissioner, representing much of northern Dakota County.

County government is sometimes described as the invisible layer of government. It comes as no shock, then, that the No. 1 question I hear as a county commissioner is, “What does Dakota County do?” The answer surprises some people.

From maintaining county roads, parks and libraries to protecting children, public safety and natural resources, Dakota County’s responsibilities are extensive, with significant and unexpected impacts on our daily lives. Below are everyday examples of work done by Dakota County in 2022.

Roads and infrastructure County crews maintained 440 miles of county highways, 81 bridges and 134 traffic signals in 2022, while also responding to two dozen snow and ice events. Locally, county road and pedestrian safety projects include work underway or planned for Thompson, Wentworth, Delaware, Oakdale and Concord as well as safety improvements near schools, including Heritage Middle School and St. Joseph’s in West St. Paul.

Public safety Dakota County collaborates with local cities to operate Dakota911. This makes

our 9-1-1 emergency response far faster and more efficient, saving our taxpayers more than $15 million since it began in 2007. Working with the county attorney, sheriff, local police and courts, Dakota County also handled more than 6,000 adult criminal cases, juvenile delinquency referrals, commitments and DUI arrests in 2022, while supervising 10,000 probation offenders and operating the county jail with 100-plus inmates.

Drinking water

Since 2019, we have faced ongoing proposals to export water from Dakota County to southwestern states such as Arizona and California. We have worked closely with state officials, including State Rep. Rick Hansen, to strengthen laws to keep our water here. We now have the strongest state and local laws in the country. These protections are necessary because we anticipate water quantity issues of our own in Dakota County within the next 10 years. In addition, since two of Minnesota’s largest land-

fills are located in Dakota County, we partner with the state and local cities to ensure that waste haulers, landfills and recycling/organics collection centers manage waste properly. This protects our water, land and air.

Child protection

The County assists with child protection services. In 2022, this included helping collect more than $40 million in child support and creation of a new short-term housing facility for kids in temporary need of a safe place to stay. Aspen House, a partnership between Dakota and Washington Counties, is a 12-bed home in Mendota Heights that provides teens in crisis with mental health services. A replacement for a Hastings facility that closed, Aspen House is a far better option for kids in crisis than an emergency shelter or detention center. The goal of the professional staff at Aspen House is to help kids return to a safe, permanent home.

Mental health

Dakota County handled approximately 50,000 intake and crisis calls in 2022. In addition, the County paired up a social worker with police in West St. Paul and South St. Paul to help respond to calls involving mental health. This partnership provides improved response for those in need while also freeing up local police officers to spend more time on the roads protecting the community. The County is also working with state and city officials to create a new mental health crisis and recovery center in West St. Paul.

Parks and trails

More than one million visits were made to Dakota County’s 5,000-acre park system this year. With the help of outside grants, the County dramatically improved both Thompson County Park in West St. Paul and our River to River Greenway connecting South St. Paul, West St. Paul and Mendota Heights. We also have now permanently protected nearly 12,000 acres

of top-quality woodlands, wetlands and prairies across the county.

Libraries

In 2022, residents visited our nine Dakota County libraries nearly 2 million times, checking out more than 4 million materials. A digital streaming service also gave residents access to thousands of eBooks, movies, documentaries, music and more, and ground was broken for a new county library in South St. Paul.

Next month we will cover how we fund the County’s extensive work, the impact on local taxes, and Dakota County’s unique position of being one of the only debtfree counties in the nation. We will also zero in on the status of local projects such as the mental health crisis facility proposed to go in next to the Northern Service Center. I welcome your feedback. To share comments, concerns and questions, email me at Joe.Atkins@ co.dakota.mn.us or call me at 651-438-4430.

When a community comes together

Looking back at the many photos we took at commu-

nity events in 2022 makes us realize it was a pretty remarkable year for South St. Paul residents, young and old. Throughout the year, the South St. Paul Mayor’s Youth Task Force and its many friends and partners engaged in activities that benefited both residents and the community alike. We often use the phase, “when the community comes together, great things can happen” and 2022 was no exception. We had community celebra-

tions, community events and activities, and community service opportunities.

The year started with a new and meaningful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It was made possible by members of six local churches, city staff, and students and staff from South St. Paul schools working together. From there, we held a successful Communitywide Food Drive for Neighbors, Inc., an Environmental Resource Fair, and an outstand-

ing Mississippi River Cleanup with more than 75 youth and adults working together. And let’s not forget the series of “What If,” including the Juneteenth Celebration.

Youth partnered with residents of the city’s senior high-rises and helped with the Thanksgiving dinner, creating smiles and laughter, joy and friendship. Throughout the year, artwork was created, community grams were delivered, tacos were served, backpacks were filled,

pumpkins were composted, a new South St. Paul Mayor for the Day was selected, and community bell-ringers ushered in the South St. Paul Farmers Market each week. Volunteers also worked at community celebrations. From Kaposia Days and On the Road Again to The Great Halloween Get Together and the Annual South St. Paul Tree Lighting, people worked together to create community.

Indeed, 2022 was a good

year, and we only see us getting stronger in 2023. Partners are in place and plans are underway to host established programs and events, and some new ones. Remember, “There is no I in Team, but a U in Volunteer, Youth and Community.”

Join us in being a “U.” When a community works together, great things can happen. Welcome 2023. Let’s make this the best year yet!

Neighbors, Inc.

Charlie Thompson President & CEO

The year 2022 will be remembered for different reasons – many of them positive, some of them challenging, all of them memorable.

Neighbors celebrated 50 years of serving those in need with many activities

throughout the year. The celebration culminated with a community-wide open house. Friends of Neighbors from the past 50 years gathered to share stories of service to our neighbors in need. We debuted our wall mural, which captures our

history in pictures, words and art. We shared our anniversary video, which highlighted volunteers, services and leaders from our past. Most importantly, we came together as a community to honor the legacy of service that Neighbors represents. Thank you to everyone who participated in the celebration.

The opening of our new Financial Empowerment Center also took place in 2022. The remodeled space enhances our Financial Empowerment program. People working with our staff toward achieving financial goals have access to computers, scanners, a copier

and other resources. This space provides a welcoming and calming place to address issues that will help mitigate the effects of poverty. It also serves as our welcome center, where the community comes together to provide opportunities to thrive.

The year was also one of great need throughout the community. The lingering effects of the pandemic and high inflation contributed to record numbers of people seeking assistance in our food shelf. Year over year, 2022 ended with an 80% increase in people receiving food assistance. We are also seeing more people in need of gift cards for free items

from our Clothes Closet Thrift Store and other services provided by Neighbors.

In 2023, as we usher in our 51st year of serving our neighbors, we expect to experience persistent increased levels of need. Inflation continues to affect our community – not only resulting in a higher need for our services, but also increasing the costs to provide those services.

In spite of these challenges, the team at Neighbors remains hopeful. We are hopeful because of the volunteers who give of their time each day. We are hopeful because of the food drives that are held to support our food shelf. We are hopeful be -

cause of the clothing and essential items donated to our Clothes Closet Thrift Store. We are hopeful because of our community partners who support our Small Sums Grants and other aspects of our Financial Empowerment program. Finally, we are hopeful because you recognize the need and support it with your time, talent and treasure.

We look forward to the New Year with all its challenges and possibilities. Please continue to join us in supporting our community. By doing so, together, we can make 2023 a joyful and prosperous year for all our neighbors.

Recipe for Christmas

I don’t consider myself a person bound by tradition.

Usually, I’m all about change, encouraging people to change and looking for ways to change myself. I generally think that new experiences make life both more memorable and meaningful.

Except for Christmas. I want Christmas to remain exactly the same.

Nearly every year of my life, Christmas Eve has been celebrated with my father and his family. My dad has only one sister, my Auntie

Jo, so this has been relatively easy. My father and his sister each had two children, and I am the oldest, so the logistics remained simple.

But this year, logistics finally caught up with us and I will celebrate with my parents and my sister and her family. Auntie Jo’s family will have their own celebration, and at my age, I should be incredibly grateful that the tradition held as long as it did.

Instead, I’m a little sad. If you read advice columns at this time of year (and I do), you know they are filled with families feuding over where to spend Christ-

mas. The more distant and strained the family relations are, the more fiercely they fight. I read these columns every year and tut-tut along with the advice giver, and yet I take for granted that my Christmas will remain unchanged. I like to imagine that – while everything in the world changes – Christmas somehow magically remains the same.

“I’m sad!” I told my mother when she told me the news.

“I know,” my mom said. “But things change.” Of course, my mother is right.

Hanging onto Christmas traditions is important. Let-

ting them go is even more so. Things change and that is not a good thing or a bad thing. It is simply what happens if you are lucky enough to live as long as I have lived. It is asking too much of Christmas to hold all the relationships and all the changes. It is asking too much of one short day.

Instead, on December 26, we will get together for a brunch. My Auntie Jo is hosting, so I know it will be wonderful. Everyone will be there, and no one will be worried that they are neglecting some other part of the family, or that they will have to rush to another Christmas event. We will chat and eat all the cookies we want (because what else are you going to do with Christmas cookies on the 26th of December except eat them?) And it will

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be something new.

“Hey, Sister,” I said. “When are we going to make Christmas cookies?”

We made Christmas cookies together last year for the first time. We both mixed a huge amount of dough, and we made a giant mess of her kitchen and put her son to work minding the oven and her daughter sprinkling sugar and we ended up with an amazing pile of cookies. This was how Christmas traditions survive – not by hanging on to one special thing, but by making new special moments. This tradition, now two years old, is part of Christmas. My job is to treat it with all the respect a two-year-old tradition requires – to honor it and celebrate it and make it the best day possible.

“Where did you get this recipe?” my mother asked, trying one of our cookies.

“From you!” I told her.

And it’s true. I got the recipe for Christmas from my mother, and my father, and my Auntie Jo. Now all I have to do is to remember to make it on my own every year.

Till next time.

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

• St Augustine ’s Catholic Church 408 3rd St N 651 - 45 5 - 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 1 49 8th Ave S 651 - 451-1035 grace-ssp.org

Worship Guide

Fax resume to 651-699-8638 or call 612-721-2026

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 www.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

Carrie Classon CarrieClasson.com

Journals

glimpse into history

Lois Glewwe Contributor

The earliest known journals date to the year 56 in China. In 10th century Japan, women kept pillow books to record their dreams and thoughts. Samuel Pepys’s famous diary was written between 1660-1669 and is considered one of the most important sources of information on the English Restoration period. In more recent American history, Civil War diaries and – important for Minnesota history – Dakota War diaries, documented military actions and offer a glimpse into the personal lives of soldiers and the hardships they experienced.

My own dad kept a daily diary from January 1, 1943 until his death in May 1986. Like many personal family journals or diaries, it is not an emotional reflection on life but rather documents the details of our family in amazing ways. Dad wasn’t an author and certainly not someone who expressed his thoughts and feelings on paper in his daily scribbles. He started journaling when he took a position with the Minnesota Highway Department. He was an efficiency expert and traveled the state Monday through Thursday each week, dropping in at

local highway garages to check their stock of supplies, state of equipment, status of workers and other details. He stayed in small town hotels throughout Minnesota and ate at local cafés, and he used his diary to record his expenses so he could submit them to the state for reimbursement. While paging through 43 volumes of his diaries, it’s fun to see the price of dinner in those days (one meal was 75 cents for soup, salad, roast beef, potatoes, beans and pie with coffee). Occasionally, he’d see a movie – for a dime – if he had nothing pressing to do that evening. He never called home but wrote my mother brief little notes and mailed them almost every day.

Today, I sometimes reflect on the fact that few people take the time to record family events in this way. We rely on social media and email to document our news and send it off into cyber space without any hope of ever retrieving it. For many, our only diaries are information stored on our phones, and I don’t know anyone who realizes that all of their photos and messages may never be seen again as software applications change and older versions become inaccessible.

One of the things that gets lost in the electronic age is

a written record of family events. Sure, if we really want to know when GreatGrandpa Joe died, we can check out Find a Grave or Ancestry.com, but it’s more likely that we just brush past specific information and recall that it was sometime in the fifties. Here’s where my dad’s daily diaries are a true treasure. While at home, he’d generally write a lengthy account of events that happened that week. For my family, that meant documentation of the lives of more that 40 children my parents fostered over an 8-year period. He’d note when a baby arrived, its age and name, and finally when it was adopted. For the older, long-term kids, he noted their activities and birthdays, just like anyone else in the family.

Dad’s diaries included world events, including the end of World War II and the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and also the score of every Twins game, along with the temperature or general weather report. I go back to the diaries quite often when I need to confirm a date or event. Most of the diaries are identical red hardbound books that my mom purchased each year from St. Paul Book & Stationery in St. Paul. They are all shelved in my living room.

The last entry in his diary was written by me. Dad asked me to write it for him after the Twins won 7-1 on May 1, 1986. He had watched the game and I dutifully recorded the score. I also included some of my own thoughts because for me it was a sad day. Dad had a stroke that day, and a second stroke a few days later. He passed on May 7.

As we enter another new year, I wish that all families would be stewards of their own family so that memories and accurate history will be preserved for the generations to come. Here’s to a Happy New Year of your very own story.

Reuben Glewwe, who was born in South St. Paul in 1904, kept a daily dairy from 1943 until he died in 1986. His descendants treasure the accuracy of his recordings of the dates of family events, and the insight the journals provide into his life.

So much to do, be, and become.

When you walk into a room full of strangers and feel instantly at home, you know you’ve found your people.

That’s what it’s like at Saint Mary’s – a community that welcomes you, supports you, and finds ways to help you thrive. A community that will help you study and succeed and become the world-changer you want to be.

Schedule a visit to our campus and find your people.

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