Como Community Council Corner

By MICHAEL KUCHTA, Executive Director

Pedestrian safety: what’s the next step?

How to make our streets safer for pedestrians is the topic of District 10’s next Sunday Series presentation on Mar. 18. Fay Simer, St. Paul’s new pedestrian safety advocate, and Sgt. Jeremy Ellison, who leads enforcement in the citywide Stop for Me campaign, share their ideas and invite yours.

Their presentation, ”The Next Step: Pedestrian Safety in Saint Paul,” is Sun., Mar. 18 in the upstairs auditorium at the Como Zoo and Conservatory’s Visitors Center, 1225 Estabrook Dr. All Sunday Series events are free; they run from 1-2:30pm.

Future presentations in 2018:

• Crime Prevention through Landscape Design, Sun., Apr. 15, Como Park Streetcar Station, 1224 Lexington Pkwy. N.—Patty Lammers, crime prevention coordinator for the St. Paul Police, advises where to plant, where not to plant, and what to plant to make yourself, your family, and your home safer.

• Como Park Tree Trek, Sun., June 3 (meet outside the Como Lakeside Pavilion, 1360 Lexington Pkwy. N.)—Certified arborist and former Tree Advisory Panel member Tim Morgan leads a walk to help you better identify and understand local tree species, their health, and the diseases and pests that affect them.

You, too, can join the District 10 Board

Eight positions on the Como Community Council Board are up for election at District 10’s annual meeting on Tues., Apr. 17. In at least six of the positions, the incumbent is not seeking re-election. So this year is a great opportunity for new activists to seek an open seat. To find out more, see the article on District 10’s website: www.district10comopark.org.

The positions on this April’s ballot:

• Vice-Chair

• Treasurer

• One representative from each of four geographic sub-districts

• Two at-large representatives

Any resident of District 10 who is age 18 or older is eligible to run. So are authorized representatives from a business or nonprofit organization located in District 10.

Candidates interested in a board position must submit their name and a brief biography by Tues., Apr. 10. Nominations submitted after that date will be treated as write-in candidacies.

Board members elected this year will serve from Apr. 24, 2018, until Apr. 28, 2020.

What do you think about the crosswalk idea?

St. Paul Parks and Recreation plans to build a new pedestrian crosswalk across Lexington Pkwy., near the parking lots for the Golf Course and Lakeside Pavilion. District 10 is exploring residents’ priorities about the proposed crosswalk and some of the potential options. Take our survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/D10LexCrossing.

Improve your credit score

Learn how to understand and improve your credit and credit score at a free Financial Literacy Workshop on Wed., Mar. 21, 6pm, at the Como Park Streetcar Station. Join LSS Financial Counseling and TopLine Federal Credit Union for a workshop to learn:

• How to get and read your credit report

• How your credit score is calculated and ways to increase your score

• Ways to improve negative credit and build good credit

• Your FCRA rights and how to correct errors

To register for the workshop call 763-391-9494.

Get your junk pile together earlier this year

Heads up, procrastinators! The yearly Citywide Drop-Off at the State Fairgrounds will be earlier this year. Usually, the event—where you get rid of stuff you can’t throw in the trash—is in the fall. But in 2018, Drop-Off Day is June 9. We’ll fill you in on details as we get closer, but this is definitely the year to take spring cleaning seriously.

Upcoming District 10 meetings

• Como Community Council Monthly Meeting: Tues., Mar. 20

• Environment Committee: Wed., Mar. 28

• Neighborhood Relations and Safety Committee: Tues., Apr. 3

• Land Use Committee: Wed., Apr. 4

All meetings begin at 7pm at the Como Park Streetcar Station, at the northeast corner of Lexington and Horton. Community members are always welcome to attend and participate. Whenever possible, agendas are posted in advance in the “Board News” section of District 10’s website.