D Volume 33, No. 1 February 2020 daytonsbluffdistrictforum.org “The Voice of the Community” Dayton’s Bluff Community Council 804 Margaret Street St. Paul, MN 55106 ECRWSS Postal Customer NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 3996 A New Grocery in the Community G.B. LeRoy Special to the Forum There are places to buy food in our community, but Storehouse Grocers is unique because there aren't any employ- ees, according to Carl Johnson, pastor of Faith City Church in Dayton’s Bluff. He spends most of his time there and people volunteer to serve in the store. "All of our profits go back into the communities so this is what we call an impactful busi- ness," he said. Johnson points out that this neighbor- hood is not a “food desert” as some have said, but there is a lot of food insecurity. He has entered into a relationship with HyVee Foods, a worker-owned compa- ny, and they let him, at a reduced price, stock the stores with their generic prod- ucts. If you visit there you will find most of the basics, including: juice, bread, eggs, spaghetti, cat litter, dog food, spices, applesauce, sugar, flour and oils. There are a lot of dried and canned food such as beans, peas, and the likes. You can order online or call by phone for pick-up. They are just starting out and plan to allow EBT sales and soon there will be a part-time volunteer nutritionist for the neighborhood. They want to add meat packs and pre-made meals. This is a for-profit establishment but all pro- ceeds will be going to Faith City Church for their various community programs. They believe in “ending every day hunger” and “changing destinies.” Looking to the future: Next summer they will have farmers and gardeners bring in fresh produce to sell. There will be frequent summer food events for kids and there are plans to start a kids soccer club and maybe an expansion of the store. Storehouse Grocers is located at 851 East Seventh Street. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and closed on Sun- days. You may reach them by phone at 651-447-2056. For more information go to sitestorehousegrocers.com Meet Our New Editor Allison Lund-Zalewski Forum Staff My name is Allison Lund-Zalewski and I am the Forum’s new editor. I feel so honored to get to know our commu- nity and neighborhood while working for the newspaper. I have learned so much about the history and the people who make Dayton’s Bluff special. I am originally from northern Wis- consin, having gone to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for an English degree. I graduated in 2013. I worked for my hometown newspa- per throughout college, the Antigo Daily Journal, as their proofreader. While working at the Journal I was able to help with formatting the news- papers as well as take photos and write sports articles. My husband and I moved to East Saint Paul four years ago. We have three dachshunds: Greta, Lucy, and Goliath. We also have two turtles and two frogs. Since moving over here, I enjoy go- ing to concerts and sports events and checking out all the new events and sites of the big city. My other hobbies include reading, going to the movies, and spending time with my family and my dogs. Thank you all for welcoming us into your community, I can’t wait to con- tribute to our neighborhood and be- come involved more! Swede Hollow Picture Book Available Now Karin DuPaul Forum Staff The new book The Life of Swede Hol- low: A Pictorial History is doing well. It is on its third round of printing. The book can be purchased at the Swede Hollow Café and Yarusso’s restaurant and also at a number of local book stores including Next Chapter and Subtext. The book has great pictures and stories about Swede Hollow and the people who lived there. The book tells stories of immigrants from Sweden then from Italy and then Mexican Americans, who over a period of nearly one hundred years, came to Saint Paul for better jobs and better liv- ing conditions and, starting their Saint Paul lives in the little valley known as Swede Hollow. Swede Hollow was home for families from the 1860s to 1956. By the 1940s many homes in Swede Hollow had electricity and some had phones. The community got their drink- ing water from three wells in Swede Hol- low, but since the houses were not con- nected to the city sewer system, the city of Saint Paul decided that places like Swede Hollow should not be places where people lived. Some ideas for Swede Hollow’s future included filling it in for an industrial park, landing pads for Highway 212 which would have run from the state cap- ital through Dayton’s Bluff, taking out hundreds of homes, and on, out beyond the city limits. But some people thought it should become a city park. As the years went on the park idea became a re- ality. The book shows the Swede Hollow park development up to today. For more information about The Life of Swede Hol- low contact [email protected]G.B. LeRoy Pictured above is Pastor Carl Johnson in the new Storehouse Grocery located on East Seventh Street. American Indian Magnet School Renovation Proposed Greg Cosimini Forum Staff Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) has a plan to renovate the American Indian Mag- net School located at Third and Earl Streets. The building, formerly Mounds Park Ju- nior High and before that, the original Harding High School, was built in 1924. It has seen previous additions in 1930, 1938 and 1991. The latest plan would add a variety of sections to the building as well as add stories to parts of the existing structure. Due to the unusual topography of the area, some of the additions would technically violate current codes for buildings in the R4 Zoning District so a variance was applied for and granted. According to SPSS, “The project will bring the building up to educational facility standards set by the District in their Facilities Master Plan. There will be no change in educational use at the site or planned increase in enrollment, only expansion of the existing school building for equity in space and programming to align with District standards.” There is no timetable for when the renovation may begin. Currently, many of the School District's building plans are on hold due to drastic increases in their budgeted costs. The AIM School project was originally budgeted at $23.1 million, but has now ballooned to $53.3 million.
Transcript
D
Volume 33, No. 1
February 2020
daytonsbluffdistrictforum.org
“The Voice of the Community”
Dayton’s BluffCommunity Council804 Margaret StreetSt. Paul, MN 55106
ECRWSSPostal Customer
NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDTWIN CITIES MNPERMIT NO. 3996
A New Grocery in theCommunity
G.B. LeRoySpecial to the Forum
There are places to buy food in ourcommunity, but Storehouse Grocers isunique because there aren't any employ-ees, according to Carl Johnson, pastor ofFaith City Church in Dayton’s Bluff. Hespends most of his time there and peoplevolunteer to serve in the store. "All ofour profits go back into the communitiesso this is what we call an impactful busi-ness," he said.
Johnson points out that this neighbor-hood is not a “food desert” as some havesaid, but there is a lot of food insecurity.He has entered into a relationship withHyVee Foods, a worker-owned compa-ny, and they let him, at a reduced price,stock the stores with their generic prod-ucts. If you visit there you will find mostof the basics, including: juice, bread,eggs, spaghetti, cat litter, dog food,spices, applesauce, sugar, flour and oils.
There are a lot of dried and canned foodsuch as beans, peas, and the likes. Youcan order online or call by phone forpick-up. They are just starting out andplan to allow EBT sales and soon therewill be a part-time volunteer nutritionistfor the neighborhood. They want to addmeat packs and pre-made meals. This isa for-profit establishment but all pro-ceeds will be going to Faith City Churchfor their various community programs.They believe in “ending every dayhunger” and “changing destinies.”Looking to the future: Next summerthey will have farmers and gardenersbring in fresh produce to sell. There willbe frequent summer food events for kidsand there are plans to start a kids soccerclub and maybe an expansion of thestore.
Storehouse Grocers is located at 851East Seventh Street. They are openMonday through Saturday from 9:00a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and closed on Sun-days. You may reach them by phone at651-447-2056. For more information goto sitestorehousegrocers.com
Meet Our NewEditor
Allison Lund-ZalewskiForum Staff
My name is Allison Lund-Zalewski
and I am the Forum’s new editor. I feelso honored to get to know our commu-nity and neighborhood while workingfor the newspaper. I have learned somuch about the history and the peoplewho make Dayton’s Bluff special.
I am originally from northern Wis-consin, having gone to the Universityof Wisconsin-Stevens Point for anEnglish degree. I graduated in 2013.
I worked for my hometown newspa-per throughout college, the AntigoDaily Journal, as their proofreader.While working at the Journal I wasable to help with formatting the news-papers as well as take photos and writesports articles.
My husband and I moved to EastSaint Paul four years ago. We havethree dachshunds: Greta, Lucy, andGoliath. We also have two turtles and
two frogs.Since moving over here, I enjoy go-
ing to concerts and sports events andchecking out all the new events andsites of the big city.
My other hobbies include reading,going to the movies, and spendingtime with my family and my dogs.
Thank you all for welcoming us intoyour community, I can’t wait to con-tribute to our neighborhood and be-come involved more!
Swede Hollow Picture Book Available Now
Karin DuPaulForum Staff
The new book The Life of Swede Hol-low: A Pictorial History is doing well. Itis on its third round of printing. The bookcan be purchased at the Swede HollowCafé and Yarusso’s restaurant and also ata number of local book stores includingNext Chapter and Subtext. The book hasgreat pictures and stories about SwedeHollow and the people who lived there.
The book tells stories of immigrantsfrom Sweden then from Italy and thenMexican Americans, who over a periodof nearly one hundred years, came toSaint Paul for better jobs and better liv-ing conditions and, starting their SaintPaul lives in the little valley known asSwede Hollow. Swede Hollow was homefor families from the 1860s to 1956.
By the 1940s many homes in SwedeHollow had electricity and some hadphones. The community got their drink-ing water from three wells in Swede Hol-
low, but since the houses were not con-nected to the city sewer system, the cityof Saint Paul decided that places likeSwede Hollow should not be placeswhere people lived.
Some ideas for Swede Hollow’s futureincluded filling it in for an industrialpark, landing pads for Highway 212which would have run from the state cap-ital through Dayton’s Bluff, taking outhundreds of homes, and on, out beyondthe city limits. But some people thoughtit should become a city park. As theyears went on the park idea became a re-ality. The book shows the Swede Hollowpark development up to today. For moreinformation about The Life of Swede Hol-low contact [email protected]
G.B. LeRoy
Pictured above is Pastor Carl Johnson in the new Storehouse Grocery located on East Seventh Street.
American Indian Magnet School RenovationProposedGreg Cosimini
Forum Staff
Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) has a plan to renovate the American Indian Mag-net School located at Third and Earl Streets. The building, formerly Mounds Park Ju-nior High and before that, the original Harding High School, was built in 1924. It hasseen previous additions in 1930, 1938 and 1991. The latest plan would add a variety of sections to the building as well as add storiesto parts of the existing structure. Due to the unusual topography of the area, some ofthe additions would technically violate current codes for buildings in the R4 ZoningDistrict so a variance was applied for and granted. According to SPSS, “The project will bring the building up to educational facilitystandards set by the District in their Facilities Master Plan. There will be no changein educational use at the site or planned increase in enrollment, only expansion of theexisting school building for equity in space and programming to align with Districtstandards.” There is no timetable for when the renovation may begin. Currently, many of theSchool District's building plans are on hold due to drastic increases in their budgetedcosts. The AIM School project was originally budgeted at $23.1 million, but has nowballooned to $53.3 million.
Page 2 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2020
Dayton’s Bluff Take-a-Hike
Dayton’s Bluff Take-a-Hike is on thesecond Saturday of most months, theDayton’s Bluff Take-a-Hike will beginat Indian Mounds Park, located at EarlStreet and Mounds Boulevard, at10:30 a.m. The next hike will be onSaturday, February 8. The hike isapproximately one and a half to twohours long and will end at Swede Hol-low Park or East Side Heritage Park,depending on the desire of the hikers.Share and learn a little history alongthe way!
Friends of Swede Hollow watch over,restore, and celebrate the history ofSwede Hollow Park. Join the SwedeHollow community at their monthlymeetings on Thursday, February 6, at6:30 p.m. Email [email protected] or call 651-776-0550 for moreinformation and the meeting’s location.
Dayton's Bluff DistrictForum Board Meeting
The Forum is seeking writers andhelp with online content, idea genera-tion, and ad sales – join us at our nextmeeting on Saturday, February 1, at11:00 a.m., at Swede Hollow Cafe at725 E. 7th Street. Call 651-776-0550or email [email protected] for more informa-tion.
Police Community Meetings
The Eastern District Police will hosttheir monthly meetings for communitymembers held at the Eastern DistrictPolice office at 722 Payne on the cor-ner of Payne and Minnehaha Avenues.The next meetings are on Wednesday,February 19 at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30p.m. The meetings are intended as atime to learn, listen to, and addresspeople’s concerns about crime andother issues on the East Side. SaintPaul Police Eastern District is com-mitted to maintaining and growing thequality of life for all our residents.Bring your neighbors it is a great wayto talk about your neighborhood nui-sance issues.
SNAP Food Program atCLUES (Comunidades
Latinas Unidas En Servicio)
¿Necesita más comida saludable parala familia? El programa SNAP le puedeayudar. SNAP proporciona fondos paraalimentos que benefician a familias deescasos recursos.
Aún si no es ciudadano, si tiene hijosnacidos en este país ellos podrían cali-ficar. Participar en el programa SNAPno afectará su estatus migratorio.
¡Llame a CLUES para saber si califi-
ca! 612-746-3500. Nuestro personal bil-ingüe puede facilitar el proceso para ust-ed y su familia.
Need healthy food for your family?The SNAP program provides funds forlow-income families to buy food. Evenif you are not a citizen, your childrenborn in this country could qualify. Par-ticipation in the SNAP program won'taffect their immigration status.
Call CLUES to find out if you qualifyat 612-746-3500. Our bilingual staff canfacilitate the process for your family.
Twin Cities Mobile Market
The Twin Cities Mobile Market is agrocery store on wheels that brings af-fordable, healthy food directly intoneighborhoods. The Mobile Marketstops at Parkway Gardens Apartments,located at 1145 Hudson Road, onWednesdays, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00p.m.
February 21, 22, 28, & 29 and March6 &7: Fearless Five: Dreams. FearlessComedy Productions is proud to presentFearless Five Dreams. Five new playswith five directors and one theme. Tick-ets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door.More information will be availableshortly. Check our website. Friday, March 13: Friends of Swede
Hollow fundraiser. Mark your calendars.Visit our website at moundstheatre.orgfor more information and other eventsnot listed here and to purchase tickets asthey become available. The HistoricMounds Theatre is located at 1029 Hud-son Road, St. Paul, MN 55106; 651-772-2253; [email protected]. Visit website at moundstheatre.org for
more information and other events notlisted here and to purchase tickets asthey become available. The HistoricMounds Theatre is located at 1029 Hud-son Road, St. Paul, MN 55106; 651-772-2253; [email protected]
December at theDayton's Bluff
Library
The following events take place at theDayton’s Bluff Library, 645 East Sev-enth Street, Saint Paul.
Tuesday, February 11, from 6:30p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Teens Know Best!Teens have exclusive access to booksbefore they are published.
This group meets on the second Tues-day of every month to share opinionsand pizza. Teens Know Best memberswrite reviews of the books they read.The reviews are submitted to the pub-lishers to help guide their decisions.
School is in session! The library's gotyour back. Check out sppl.org/back-to-school for information on homeworkhelp, after school snack, and other re-sources to make your school year a suc-cess.
For information about these and otherfun events, check sppl.org or call 651-793-1699. The Dayton's Bluff Libraryshares its home with Metropolitan StateUniversity at 645 East 7th Street.
Wish List Care Packages
Help East Side Elders distribute food,hygiene items, and more to seniors on theEast Side by shopping their Amazon WishList!
Visit www.amazon.com/registry/wish-list/3KK0O1OGFO5NJ to have thesemuch-needed items sent right to theiroffice. From there, a team of volunteerswill distribute them to seniors in need.
With the help of supporters like you,East Side Elders is able to supply gro-ceries and personal care items to seniorsin the community at no charge to them.These items help stretch their monthlybudgets and give them access to healthyfood and much-needed personal careproducts. Donations can also be droppedoff at East Side Elders, 463 Maria Av-enue Suite 201, St. Paul, MN 55106.
Grocery Shopping
Did you know that East Side Elderscan help you and your loved one withgrocery shopping?
Let East Side Elders take a choreoff your long to-do list! To get helpwith grocery shopping, call 651-683-2326 or email [email protected] with a detailed list. From there,East Side Elders staff will put a callout to their grocery shopping team andschedule a day and time that works foryou and the volunteer for delivery.
Grocery shopping is a dona-tion-based service. Donate what youcan for the convenience of not havingto head out to the store. Reimburse-ment for the groceries can be done di-rectly with the volunteer–they willbring you a receipt when they maketheir delivery.`
Volunteer with EastSide Elders
Did you know that East Side Eldersprovided over 1,600 rides to seniors onthe East Side last year? With the help ofour incredible volunteers, we help olderadults get to medical appointments, thebank, the grocery store, and other er-rands. Each ride helps a senior remainan active, vital part of the community.
As we receive more and more re-quests for help from our senior neigh-bors, we need to grow our team ofvolunteer drivers. Join our team by ap-plying online at EastSideElders.org/Vol-unteer or by contacting us at 651-683-2326. Volunteer drivers have a flexibleschedule and help out when they can, asoften as they choose. Gas cards are alsoavailable for volunteer drivers!
Business Classes
The next Dayton’s Bluff Neighbor-hood Microentrepreneur Class pro-gram helps startup and youngbusinesses on the East Side. All EastSide entrepreneurs are welcome. Classtraining lasts eight weeks and includestopics such as operations manage-ment, marketing, financial manage-
ment, one-on-one assistance with cre-ating a successful business, and pre-paring a business plan, plus eighthours of one-on-one time with the in-structor.
Those who successfully completethe course and locate their businessesin target neighborhoods are eligiblefor ongoing business support services.Some examples of businesses startedby people who have previously takenthis course include graphics, landscap-ing, photography, food service,restoration of wood furniture, art, cus-tom floral design, and exterior and in-terior painting. The course issponsored by the Dayton’s Bluff Com-munity Council and the NeighborhoodDevelopment Center. There is a smallregistration fee based on a sliding feescale. Class sizes are limited, so enrollnow. Please call 651-379-8432 for anapplication.
Free Help for East Side Pets
The Animal Humane Society’s Com-munity Outreach program offers specialclinics for pets on the East Side. Theevents provide free wellness exams,vaccines, nail trims, spay/neuter ap-pointment scheduling, guidance fromthe AHS behavior team and St. Paul An-imal Control, free pet food, and more.
For upcoming events and locationscall 651-788-4685 or visit http://animal-humanesociety.org/outreach-ser-vices-frogtown-and-east-st-paul.
Learn About Medicareand Help Others
Help the Metropolitan Area Agencyon Aging provide one-on-one counsel-ing to Medicare beneficiaries at com-munity partner sites.
Make a difference in your communi-ty by becoming a State Health Insur-ance Assistance Program certifiedMedicare Counselor. Help people un-derstand their Medicare options. VisitMetroaging.org/volunteer to learnmore.
Ice Castle
Have you heard? Ice Castle, a popu-lar winter attraction, will take placeright here in Ramsey County this sea-son. Construction on the castle has be-gun at Long Lake Regional Park, andthe site has been open since January,weather permitting. More informationregarding tickets and the event will beavailable at icecastles.com/minnesotautm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
Cross-country skiing
Check out our 25 miles of markedand groomed cross-country ski trailsthis winter. Ski passes are required forskiers age 16 and up and are availableto purchase through the MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources.Daily passes are $10, and season pass-es are $25. Trail conditions will be up-dated weekly online and through theSki Trail newsletter.
February 2020 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 3
St. Paul Events thatOccurred in February
Steve Trimble Forum Staff
Here are several interesting events that happened in
this month over the years. Three of them definitelyoccurred on the East Side. The first date was madeinto a movie, Iron Will in 1994. Maybe bring a grouptogether to watch it on Netflix.
February 3, 1917: An estimated 25,000 peoplebraved the bitter cold in Como Park on this day. Theywere awaiting the end of a 500-mile dogsled racesponsored by the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Manypeople walked four miles in knee-deep snow to escortthe teams to the finish line. Because of the frigidweather, only five of the eleven teams that started inWinnipeg made it to the finish line. Most of theparticipants were Canadian. Eventual winner, AlbertCampbell, had a French father and a Cree mother andwas a hunter and trapper from Manitoba. MinnesotanFred Hartman, the only American, came in last, butwas heartily cheered when he arrived. All of thedrivers were cheered and feted by a crowd at the St.Paul Auditorium, and the dogs were awarded poundsof fish to eat. A fictionalized version of the race wasmade into a film called Iron Will in 1994.
There are still a lot of East Siders who rememberwhen one of the biggest explosions in the cityhappened. If you are one of them, why not share someof your memories.
February 8, 1951: The worst disaster in St. Pauloccurred on this day. Residents of the East Sidealways called this “The Day the Mining Blew Up.” Alittle after eight o’clock in the morning around 4,000people showed up for work at 3M. The blast occurredin the Mineral Building, a five-story structure of thesprawling plant where rocks were crushed for
sandpaper. The trouble started when a butane storagetank was being filled and a break in the line allowedthe highly flammable gas to seep into several areasthrough underground connections. Suddenly a hugeexplosion shook three buildings. Fifteen workers diedand fifty others were transferred to hospitals. Theowner of a gas station a few blocks awaysaid,“suddenly there was a terrific blast and then upfrom the mining plant rolled a huge ball of fire.” Ablast followed and “it rocked me and the customer,almost knocking us off our feet.” The companyassigned someone to each victim's family to workwith them as long as necessary. An emergency fundwas set up to pay for items such as taxi fares tohospitals, babysitters, transportation of relatives fromout of town, telegrams and funeral costs.
Like the 3M explosion, not all historic events arehappy. The following event that happened in SwedeHollow was terrible. Surprisingly, at one of the recentArt in the Hollow events a relative who wasresearching the sad situation showed up to discusswhat she had found.
February 11, 1914: Pietro Narcuso, a man in histwenties, had been seeing Josephine Cabuzza, asixteen-year-old, who lived with her family in SwedeHollow. She allegedly expressed love for him and hegave her money and jewelry. Then Narcuso said,“shewent to another man and said she did not care forme,” laughing when he demanded the return of thegifts. He bought a revolver and waited until she wasalone to shoot her down. He said he was driven to theact by the spirit of the “Italian vendetti,” which says awronged man can only avenge a wrong with blood.Narcuso admitted his wrong. “I’m glad she’s dead,”he stated. “Now she can marry no other.” He wasready to let the law take its course, adding that he wasglad he did the crime and felt “happy and at peace.” Itwas a community tragedy for Swede Hollow andhundreds crowded in and around St. Ambrose Churchduring Josephine’s funeral. Many said she was thepride of St. Paul’s “little Italy.” Pietro was convictedof first degree murder but somehow received a pardonafter serving only five years of his sentence.
Here is something that a few people mightremember. If you are one of them please, send theForum an email.
February 15, 1925: The first ski-jumping hill in St.Paul was constructed in Indian Mounds Park near theintersection of Burns Avenue and Johnson Parkway. Itwas just in time for the 1925 season and the firstsanctioned tournament was held there on this day. Therecord jump that day was 109 feet set by AndersHaugen. The Hill at Mounds Park was typical of thehills in those days. It was used by the St Paul SkiClub until 1939 when it was destroyed by a heavyAugust windstorm. As a replacement, a sixty-meterhill in Battle Creek Park was erected for the 1939 St.Paul Winter Carnival. Later that year it hosted thenational championship meet and afterward thenational ski jumping championships of 1939 wereheld there. It was torn down in the 1970s.
Any of our readers have any memories of being aschool patrol person? If so, send this paper an email [email protected]
February 21, 1921: The first school patrol crossingtook place at 3:30 in the afternoon on this day at theintersection of today’s Kellogg Boulevard andSummit Avenue. It was started by Sister Carmela, theprincipal of Cathedral School. She wanted to increasethe safety of children by having older students act aspolice patrols at busy intersections. The experimentproved to be a success. Similar programs wereadopted citywide in 1922 and later in other cities.Eventually the name of the organization changed fromschool police to school patrol. Frank Hetznecker alsoplayed a key role in the early years of the schoolpatrol. He introduced Sam Browne belts andorganized annual parades and picnics for participants.A patrol member had pledged “to keep myself clean,morally, mentally and physically by being honest,trustworthy, loyal, helpful, obedient and brave.” Amemorial school patrol flagpole was installed at 200Summit Avenue in 1973.
Dayton’s Bluff District Forum
804 Margaret Street, St. Paul, MN 55106Phone: 651-776-0550 E-mail: [email protected]
Monthly circulation: 7,000; also available online at daytonsbluffdistrict-forum.org. This publication of Hopewell Communications, Inc., a non-profit organization, is intended to provide a forum for the ideas andopinions of its readers and to be an instrument for developing communi-ty awareness and pride. Signed articles do not necessarily represent theviews of the Forum. Material from this paper may be republished if it isattributed to the Dayton's Bluff District Forum and to the author, if any.Articles and letters to the editor are welcome and may be emailed [email protected], or mailed to the address above.The Dayton's Bluff District Forum is delivered to every home and busi-ness in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. Outside this area, subscriptionscost $15 per year and may be arranged by calling 651-776-0550.
Board of Directors: Greg Cosimini, Karin DuPaul, Jennifer Gascoigne, Sage Holben, Steve Trimble
Staff: David Baker, Nick Duncan, Elizabeth Wakefield
Photographer: Lou “The Photo Guy” Michaels
Next issue: March 2020. Deadline for material: February 10,2020.
Mañana Restaurant yPupuseria
Most AuthenticSalvadorian andMexican Food
Catering and lunchmeeting space
available
798 East 7th Street(651) 793-8482On facebook:
mananarestaurant
Sage Holben
Forum writer Sage Holben pictured with Acatlan. Mexico Mayor Maria del Carmen Nava. Sage was invited by the mayor to review, with her, the parade celebrating Revolution Day on November 20th, the start of the 1910-1917 Mexican Revolution.
Page 4 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2020
East Side Elders
Save the date for the Valentine'sDay Dance at the East Side Cafe!Dust off your dance moves andjoin friends and neighbors-all arewelcome!Not in the mood to dance? Singalong to songs from the 50s and60s and before! Either way, wehope you will join us for a deli-cious meal and great conversation.The dance is Thursday, February13 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 463Maria Avenue, Saint Paul, MN55106
Contest : Wherein Dayton's
Bluff? Send your guess to [email protected] with the location of theneighborhood curiosity pic-tured at right. The readerwho submits the first correctentry will be notified andthe winner will be an-nounced in the March edi-tion of the Forum. Congrat-ulations to Sherry Jasper,winner of the October con-test with a correct locationof Selby Ornamental Iron.
Free GroceryGiveaway
Mounds Park UnitedMethodist Church
Need some free groceries tohelp get you through the month?Come to Mounds Park UnitedMethodist Church at 1049 EuclidSt. on Saturday, February 15.Doors open at 9 a.m. for coffee,pastries and conversation. Food distribution begins at 10
a.m. and goes until noon. First come first served. This
event is sponsored by Dayton'sBluff Community Services.
Fix-it Clinics SeekMultilingualVolunteersRamsey County
In order to better serve our diverseRamsey County communities, the Fix-itClinic program invites communitymembers who speak a second languageto consider volunteering for the clinics.Volunteer positions include:sewers formending blankets, clothing, and othertextiles. A fixer for various items suchas electronics, jewelry, household appli-ances, and more. A greeter for welcom-ing newcomers at the clinics and a run-ner to help match the individuals totheir Fixers.
Those who are interested in volun-teering can email [email protected] or call 651-266-1199.
Ice Castles Open for ViewingRamsey County
Have you heard? Ice Castles, a popular winter attraction, will take placeright here in Ramsey County this season. The Ice Castles have been con-structed at Long Lake Regional Park.
Ice Castles is an award-winning frozen attraction located in six citiesacross North America. The experience is built using hundreds of thou-sands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists. The castles includebreathtaking LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides,fountains and much more.
“The natural beauty of the park combined with the enchantment of theIce Castles will be a wonderful event for the residents of Ramsey Countyand the region. We are excited to host Ice Castles at Long Lake RegionalPark,” said Mark McCabe, Director of Ramsey County Parks & Recre-ation.
Weekday ticket prices for those who are 12 years and older are $12.99and weekend prices are $17.99. Tickets for those 4 to 12 years old are$9.99 during the week and $11.99 for the weekend.
For more information regarding parking and stand by ticket prices,please visit icecastles.com/minnesota.
Community Searching for YouthSoccer Coaches and Referees
Faith City Church
We are starting a soccer club for ages 3 to 12 this summer from June 6 toAugust 1. We need coaches and referees. Come impact a family today byvolunteer coaching.
Faith City Church is located at 1910 Upper Afton Road in Saint Paul.
February 2020 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 5
Featured Pet of theMonth
Sage HolbenForum Staff
As kids my brother, Billy, and my sisters had an oc-casional dog. Except for our Boxer Duke, they werewith us for only a week or so. I remember their ar-rivals, but never their departures. My brother and I(13 and 12 years old) each received, one Easter, arabbit – Streaky and Lady Jane. We fed them andplayed with them – probably for a week - and thenthey were gone when we got home from school. Mymother said they must have escaped their cages. Thenext night, when my mother asked me to check on thechicken in the oven, I remember commenting howsmall and oddly shaped the pieces were. Other than Duke and our rabbits, Billy and I collect-ed snakes from rock piles and starlings, fallen fromtrees after our violent Illinois storms. These creatureswere with us for only a day or two; the last to go wasa free range snake in our apartment; it died when itgot squished under an ill-timed opening door. Yearslater, my younger son picked up on the wild animals:I came home to find a snake resting on the coffee ta-ble – the serpent quickly was carried back to thecreek. Then the newt that escaped from its bowl;found two months later under a rug...dehydrated andmuch, much smaller in size. My son stopped me frommaking it into a lapel pin. My friend Gail once had two box turtles who had ahome in a large kiddy pool she kept in her kitchen.Lois, allergic to cats, had Mr. Bunny, who had an un-fortunate desire to gnaw on electrical cords. As anadult, I find cats the easiest for me. I can leave themalone for a few days with minimal attention; theydon’t require a schedule of walks, meals, and pottyoutings. Tommy, about 13 years old, has been withme for about 10 years. His neighborhood nicknames
include: the furry bowling ball, Meatball, Bhudda,and ‘your giant cat’. His size (a solid 35 pounds), per-haps, is why kids aren’t afraid of him. He is quitemellow, allowing children to test their strength andskill in lifting him; none can. In November I went to Mexico for a week, then sixdays in Madison and then another four in Madison.When I awoke at home, I opened my eyes to haveTommy looking down at me, his big round eyes threeinches from mine, staring, “ARE YOU HOMENOW??!!” He and I both find it reassuring as he lieson the floor at my feet, one paw on my foot, as hesleeps and I read. Depending on whether I stroke Tommy’s chin or theback of his neck, his face narrows to a very slim ver-tical with melting eyes and docile demeanor or awidened, almost four inches horizontal face withround, wide eyes and a more powerful presence. Hetalks with his voice, the movement of his paws, hiseyes; he indicates to me to follow him to give him atreat, clean his litter box, or lift him to the bathroomsink and turn on his faucet...or simply touching hispaw to my leg, asking for a brief hug and hold. The more a human verbally talks with a pet, themore trusting a relationship is built - the tone, the rep-etition of words, words spoken closely with the petbuild on the rapport. When I say, slowly, the words “Ilove you”, Tommy will move his mouth and tongue,always in the same motion, as if to repeat them. Evenwith cats, a conversation is always a two-way com-munication: one has to “listen” as well as “talk.” Withpets, ‘listening’ often means watching the ears, eyes,whiskers, tail, etc. They’ve already learned this! Now, if only the buttons on my cell phone were a bitlarger, I could teach him to “dial” a phone!!
To understand Tommy’s thought processing, go todaytonsbluffdistrictforum.org/ Click on ‘Past Issues’and select ‘May 2018’ ; see page 5 for ‘ (Another)View from my Porch: The Feline Relationship’
“Too many languages being spoken.” This from ayoung black man whose face and neck were blanket-ed with tattoos. The Greyhound bus from Madison,originating from Chicago, was full and I chose theempty aisle seat next to him. He was glaring ahead ata group of seven or eight high school- or col-lege-aged students who were conversing in Spanish.As I settled in, I said, “I recently spent a week inMexico with a family; besides me, only one personthere spoke English. I speak no Spanish.”
“Your family?” he asked.“Before the end of the week they were; what the
head doesn’t understand, the heart translates,” I an-swered. He seemed to accept that, and we intro-duced ourselves.
Gordon (not his real name), for a large part of theride was on his phone. His first call was to a young,very pregnant woman, of whom he asked, ‘When Iget to St. Paul, could I come over and cuddle?” Ayoung, two-year-old was in the background, makingverbal “Pow! Pow!” sounds. The woman soundedand looked (he had the phone turned my way as hespoke to her) as if she were the one who could usesome pampering. He soon turned the phone totallymy way and said to her, “Look, I have a newhomey.”
As we neared the Minnesota/Wisconsin border, hemade another contact who he confronted with,“Where were you; you weren’t at the crime scene;and you weren’t at the funeral.” This conversationtouched on observations of who had a gun, who hadblood on them, etc. He was speaking toward the coldwindow which amplified the sound. I was amusedthat my seatmate seemed surprised when I said, “Icouldn’t help but overhear your conversation…” likethere’s any privacy on a now half-full Greyhoundbus!?
Having heard his conversation, I thought he mighthave some insight or give me his take on a youngfriend of mine. What I really wanted was a glimmerof hope. His answer, though, was that if my friend, atfourteen, was already talking about dying a violentdeath, and was making a lot of Facebook or phonecontacts to one person, it was probably too late...al-ready “in”. I wasn’t surprised, but I had been holdingon to hope. I see life leaving my young friend’s eyes.His voice is becoming flat, his eyes reflecting a dy-ing spirit. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard himlaugh or seen him smile.
Earlier:
On that trip back from Mexico, visiting “family,” Iwas on a Delta flight from Mexico City to Minneap-olis. It felt like a nice group of passengers, peoplewere introducing themselves. The man across theaisle from me was from outer Minnesota. White hairand beard, he wore a button down blue denim shirtwith AFL-CIO on the breast pocket. He exuded pridein his union. Two flight attendants went past, andthen a third. As she passed, handing out “special”snacks from first-class, she noted his shirt and loudlycommented to no one in particular, that the unionsdid nothing for her and she didn’t like them. Theteamster and I shared aghast expressions at her out-pouring. I confided to him that several years prior tomy retirement, I had much the same feelings the at-tendant had expressed as I experienced the disinte-gration of my local and council. He was familiarwith my council and local and we knew several ofthe same union activists.
The third attendant made another pass-throughwith refreshments, this time refusing to give me any,though she had given several to a people in front ofme. She didn’t offer any to the union man, either. Later she came through and said in a snarkey man-ner, “I tried to get you a lobster dinner, but I could-n’t.” Apparently she may have overheard our unionconversation or simply took a disliking to me. Iasked the next passing attendant for the name of hercolleague, thinking I may file a complaint; within afew minutes, Lea (not her real name) came to me andasked in an acerbic tone, “Did I hurt your feelings?”
I told her no, but she appalled me with her unioncomments to the passenger who was her customer; Iwas also appalled with her behavior about handingout snacks. I told her I wondered if she was having avery bad day, or had made this Mexico City to Min-neapolis flight once too often.
Lea squatted in the aisle next to me and explainedDelta’s negative stance of unions. She said pilots hadvery strong union protection and pensions, though at-tendants didn’t; one flight attendant had recentlybeen fired for talking positively about unions. I won-dered if she was playing me, but decided to accept iton face value. She then said she missed the comingand going of her three children, who had come intoMinneapolis to pick up and disperse the ashes of arelative. She wouldn’t land in time to meet withthem….and her daughter had another miscarriage.She shared some of that pain…”It’s in God’s plan,right?”
I don’t know that it is, but we all need to believe insomething, I told her. I gave her a hug, and offeredreassurance, acknowledging she’s carrying a heavyload. She added, “My husband recently said he wasdivorcing me. What kind of life do I have at my age,alone?”
“A whole new beginning,” I offered. Start seeingand enjoying what’s around you.
My two seatmates, a 30ish woman and a youngteen boy, unrelated to each other, were asleep duringall this and when Lea returned with the infamousfirst-class snack basket. She held it out and said totake whatever I want. I said I just wanted somethingfor the teen for when he awoke. “Take anything,” shesaid ...and I piled several items on his tray. “Add thechips,” Lea said. “They’re popular.” Then the awak-ened young woman reached over and added severalmore to the young man’s pile.
As I wasn’t making any connection when we land-ed, I was one of the last off the plane. “Be kind toyourself,” I added as I thanked Lea. She laughed andsmiled as she added, “And to others, right?” Lealeaned forward, “And did you notice we had a fe-male pilot?”
Page 6 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2020
Training Opportunity -Mental Health First Aid
Allison Lund-ZalewskiForum Staff
First aid skills aren't just meant for physical wounds orCPR, first aid is also necessary for those who appear tobe in a mental crisis.
East Side Elders is joining the National Alliance onMental Illness on February 11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. forMental Health First Aid - Older Adults.
Learn basic first aid skills needed to help a person whois experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. Learnabout common mental illnesses and co-occurring disor-ders with a focus on older adults. Understanding and rec-ognizing the signs that someone needs help is the firststep in getting that person appropriate care and treat-ment. Participants will receive a course manual and certificate.This nine-hour workshop is for individuals seeking basicinformation on geriatric mental health issues and how tohelp someone in crisis. It is not intended for profession-als who have a background in mental health. Participantsmust be present for entire curricula to receive certificate.
Training is free and lunch is provided by East Side El-ders! If you are interested in attending, please join on-line.
Kay King is the Older Adult Program Coordinator andCommunity Educator for NAMI Minnesota.
King states, “Taking a mental health first aid class islike taking a CPR or American Red Cross first aidclass… only this one is for the brain. It’s the curriculumI wish all of us had been offered in high school healthclass. You learn the basics of adult mental health throughthe lens of older adults in this version. One in five adultsmanage a mental illness in a given year and the lifetimeprevalence for a mental illness diagnosis is 50%. It’s ed-ucation you need if you’re a family member, employer,neighbor or part of a faith community. Recovery hap-pens, but we need to learn how to be the bridge to getpeople the help they need.”
She also suggests that this course would benefit anyonewho falls into the categories provided: anyone 16 or old-er who volunteers with seniors, senior center staff, assist-ed living staff, nursing home staff, senior housing staff,family members caring for an older adult, health clinicstaff, faith community nurses, pastoral staff, transporta-tion workers, etc.
Go to: mhfaolderadults-stpaul2-11.eventbrite.com toregister for this course. The course will be held at 463 Maria Avenue in St. Paul. NAMI Minnesota is located at 1919 University Ave W,Suite 400 in Saint Paul. For more information about theorganization and volunteer opportunities, go to: www.-
namimn.org
Non-fiction BookReview
Crisis of Conscience -Whistleblowing in an Age of Fraud
by Tom Mueller
Theresa WantaSpecial to the Forum
If you have high blood pressure, don’t read thisbook. Initially, it piqued my interest because afriend was featured in the second chapter, a friendwho as a whistleblower saved thousands of lives inIraq. Then I couldn’t stop reading.
There is a myth that whistleblowers are disloyal,have an ax to grind and reap large settlements. Thetruth is, they risk job loss, financial ruin, humilia-tion, divorce and jail, and many do not receive set-tlements at all. They blow the whistle only afterthey have exhausted all proper channels. What then,makes them jeopardize their futures to report whatthey know is legally and morally wrong?
Drawing on in-depth interviews with more than
two hundred whistleblowers, the author describesthe pervasiveness of fraud in a different sector ineach chapter; how fraud contaminates the Depart-ment of Justice, the Department of Energy, the Vet-erans Administration and the American Medical As-sociation.
Particularly poignant is how fraud affects thehealthcare industry. Medical school research is per-verted by pharmaceutical and medical device grants.Big Pharma is in charge of healthcare and the FDAcorporate lobbyists. In industry, a cost benefit analy-sis reveals manufacturers and pharmaceutical com-panies would rather pay the legal fees for loss of lifebecause they are less than the cost of fixing theproblem.
In the military, the shift from public service toself-dealing can be exemplified by comparingEisenhower with General Petraeus. Many whistle-blowers are produced by nuclear facilities such asHanford but suspect contractors know the DOJ andthe DOE have their backs. There is little account-ability by managers and a lot of money to be made.In 1917 civil penalties against nuclear contractorswere removed if they retaliated against whistle-blowers
Financial institutions that violate anti-fraud lawshave become too big to prosecute without affectingthe national economy. U.S. intelligence is subjectedto the influence of corporate contractors. CEOs runmany government departments. Crimes by corpora-
tions do much more harm than those by the workingclass.
Campaign contributions have become shorthandfor “bribe”, and “legal settlement” for hush money;in foreign countries this would be labeled “corrup-tion”. The author reveals details that do not make itto the general media; how political agenda super-sedes fact finding, how peer pressure dominatesconscience and how money is a motivating force.
Money as an incentivecan make good peopledo bad things. Thething is, if you haveenough money, youcan buy history; youcan buy truth.
This is quite a tome,but compelling andvery readable. It wasconceived many yearsbefore the present ad-ministration came topower.
Balkan Fest
Landmark Center Special to the Forum
Experience cultural traditions from South-eastern Europe at "Balkan Fest," February16. There will be music, dance, crafts, and ex-hibits that are found throughout the BalkanPeninsula. These activities will provide hoursof free fun, and food and merchandise for salewill fill bellies and souvenir bags. This year’s festival will explore the tradition of Carnival, the seasonal ritual symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. According to tradition, participants wear masks, celebrating the imminent end of the winter andthe coming of spring. Ethnic Dance Theatre will perform dances from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Serbia. There will be chances for those to join in on stage for simpletraditional dances.
Admission is $6 for those who are 13 yearsand older, $4 for ages 6 to 12, and free forages 5 and younger. Balkan Fest opens at 12p.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Visit ethnicdancetheatre.com and landmarkcenter.org for more informationand upcoming events.
February 2020 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 7
World-WideHolidays inFebruary
Temperance BrennanSpecial to the Forum
Here I am again, hopefully one ofyour favorite anthropologists. WhenEast Siders consider February theymay first think of Valentine’s Day,Presidents Day or the lesser celebra-tion for Groundhog Day. But whynot consider learning a bit about cel-ebrations around the world. If youhave children or inquisitive neigh-borhood youngsters, have a littlepresentation of the ways of Eritrea,have a Lithuanian dinner or find aNetflix movie of Estonia. Or even aMalta expo featuring the country’sfamed rabbit dish and the singing“L-Innu Malti,” its national hymn.
This is also your chanceto find out why February has fewerdays than any other month, unless
you already know.
February 2: Candlemas is a Chris-tian holiday in Liechtenstein thatcommemorates the presentation ofJesus at the Temple.” because I don'tthink Jesus ever visited Liechten-stein. The day is celebrated as a timeof renewal, hope, and purification.
February 5: Unity Day started in1988 with a vote for the new consti-tution for Burundi (Republique yBurundi), a landlocked country ofEast Africa.
February 8: Operation Fenkil is a cel-ebrated military event that took placein 1990 in and around the coastal cityof Massawa in Eritrea. The offensivewas conducted against the EthiopianArmy by both land and sea units ofthe Eritean People’s Liberation Front
February 10: Feast of St. Paul'sShipwreck is the day that commem-orates when St. Paul was ship-wrecked in 60 AD. This holiday iscelebrated in Malta were it is called“San Pawl Nawfragu.” Paul stayedon Malta for three months, healed is-
landers, and is now the patron saintof Malta.
February 16: Lithuania Restorationof the State Day marks the country’sindependence from Germany in1918. The act of reinstating indepen-dence because of the Germans' lossof WWI the first cabinet of Lithua-nia as formed regained control overthe state.
February 24: Independence Day orEstonian Declaration of Indepen-dence is also known as the Mani-festo to the Peoples of Estonia. Itcommemorates the founding act ofthe republic of Estonia in 1918 afterleaving Russia. The declaration wasdrafted by the Salvation Committeeelected by the elders of the EstonianProvincial Assembly.
February 26: Kuwait LiberationDay is the holiday that marks theday when Kuwait was liberated fromIraqi occupation in 1991.
You got somethin' to say?Say it here!
The Dayton's Bluff DistrictForum welcomes all opinions and
Opinions expressed in contributedarticles may not represent the views
of the Forum.
Deadline for the March issue ofthe Forum is February 10, 2020.
Greg Cosimini
Here is a typical Snow Emergency in Dayton's Bluff. The street is posted, the cars aren't moved, or ticketed, or towed, and the snowplows just goes around them. This picture was taken on Euclid St. near Cypress but the the situation is the same all over the Bluff and much of the East Side.
Free CommunityFamily Night
Mounds Park United MethodistChurch
Think Hawaii in the middle of aMinnesota winter.
Urban CROSS is hosting a FamilyNight on Sunday, February 23 from4 to 6 p.m. We will be showing"Moana" on our BIG screen, provid-ing a "Hawaiian" dinner and givingout Plaza Theater popcorn.
This is a free event. Join us atMounds Park United MethodistChurch, 1049 Euclid St.
Parents/guardians/adults are re-quired to attend with kids and youth.Free-will donations are appreciated.
Page 8 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum February 2020
Many thanks to our 2020 donors:
MaryAnn Cogelow
John Davidsen
Audrey J. Harken
Jean Rivard
Steve Trimble
Friends of the ForumDear Reader,
The Dayton's Bluff District Forum has been a volunteer-run newspaper since the 1980s and has always operated on a minimal budget. Each issue costs around $1,900 to produce and mail, per month.
For the past three years we have been soliciting donations through our Friends of the Forum program. Thanks to the donations from readers like you, we have been able to keep the paper up and running.If you value this community source of information, please consider filling out the form below. Any amount is appreciated; you may also make memorial donations, or include the Forum in your legacy planning.If you have been our Friend in the past, please renew your membership with a donation in 2020. Our goal for 2020 is $18,000; thanks to readers like you, we've raised $1,815 to date – will you help us reach our goal in 2020?
Sincerely, The Dayton's Bluff District Forum
Yes, I will become a Friend of the Forum. My tax-deductible check is enclosed, for:
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Make checks payable to: Dayton's Bluff District Forum and mail to 804 Margaret Street, St. Paul, MN 55106. For more information, contact 651-776-0550 or [email protected].
Thank you for your support!
East Side Eating – Trimble'sTaste Trek
Forum contributor Steve Trimble has set out to eatat every locally-owned, sit-down restaurant on theEast Side. He hopes to get the word out to Dayton'sBluff about the eating options here on our side oftown.
There are more restaurants than there is room for inthe monthly paper, but at least 60 may now be foundonline at daytonsbluffdistrictforum.org: click on“East Side Eating” at the top of the home page. SteveTrimble can be reached at [email protected].
You may remember that I did an earlier review ofMay’s restaurant that was here, and a while ago I sawthat there was a new name on the sign. Was it just achange in signage or is it a new restaurant? Of courseI had to check things out. So I went up 35E andparked in the lot in front of a small strip of retail sitesbetween Wheelock Parkway and Larpenteur Avenue.Walking in, I saw that there were a dozen booths, sixtables, and a short bar for single eaters, including me.It is in a smallish area, maybe around twenty-five feetwide and forty feet deep, with a kitchen in the back. Itis clean and well lit, with some decorative Asian itemson the walls. The printed menu was a little unusualbut helpful in my opinion. Available dishes are num-bered on the left side page of the menu, and on thefacing page, the ingredients are listed. One example is#11 Massanan Curry that consists of garlic, coconutmilk, potatoes and roasted peanuts. There were alsophotos of the dishes on the north wall.Here are some of the items on the menu:
The Appetizers were spring rolls, egg rolls, andchicken wings. The noddle offerings include PadThai, Pad See, Drunken Noodle (Pad kee mao). Thereis fried rice, curry Massaman, red curry and greencurry. Some of the soups are Kuay Jap, Pad Kra aswell as Pad Na. There are also are several kinds ofPho, such as rare steak, meatball and well donebrisket. There is crispy fish, too.
I had never eaten Karen food, so I asked the ownerto suggest something. He said Pad Kra Pao, a stir-fried meal. It is sometimes called basil chicken orbeef or whatever meat is in it. I opted for the combi-nation so mine had beef, chicken, and shrimp. Theother ingredients were onions, red and green peppers,
chopped long green beans, chili and Thai basil in afish sauce. They did ask if I wanted it spicy and I de-ferred. It was plated with a generous mound of whiterice that was topped by an egg (soft-boiled, poached?with a runny yolk) that is often part of Karen cuisine.I added some beef egg rolls as a side.
There are no alcoholic beverages, but several softdrinks, including three that are from Thailand. Thereis Thai Tea, coconut juice and Mogu Mogu, which Ibought. It has lychee juice and includes Nata de Coco,a fermented coconut juice gel that floats in the juiceand is chewable. Ser Lo is the owner and greeter. Hegrew up in a Karen farm family in Burma, the ances-tral home of the Karen people. They faced hard timesbecause the new military government would oftenraid villages, sometimes burning them and sometimeskilling the residents. Like many others, Ser Lo and hisfamily fled to nearby Thailand and spent some yearslearning the food there until finally coming to Minne-sota. This is why the restaurant features two kinds ofethnic food.
Karen Thai Food has been open around two yearsand it is thought to be the only spot featuring Karendishes in the Twin Cities. On my way out, a man whohad finished eating spoke to me and said, “Be sure toask them about their Boat Noodles.” I forgot to dothat but I plan to find out what they are. Can any ofyou readers clue me in? Steve Trimble can be reachedat [email protected]
Steve Trimble
Pictured above is the owner of Karen Thai Food, Ser Lo.
