Catch-up housing values bringing higher taxes
Home owners in Monitor area neighborhoods, like their counterparts throughout St. Paul, will see increases in property values and property taxes in 2025. The Joint Property Tax Advisory Committee, a …
Legacy of Kathy and Dick Dumas continues with donation to Como Park High School
On Sept. 13 2024, the Kathy and Dick Dumas Tennis Courts were officially renamed. Construction of eight brand-new tennis courts at Como Park High School was completed in late August thanks to a …
An unusual homecoming, awards for JROTC and Peterson
Spirit week festivities The first month of the 2024-2025 academic year at Como concluded with Spirit Week and Homecoming activities. September is a busy time of transition back into the daily …
Events - Oct 2024
PLAY ABOUT CAREGIVERS RUNS OCT. 18-NOV. 3 Wonderlust Productions premieres a new play about caregiving: “Thank You for Holding: The Caregiver Play Project,” performing Oct. 18 - Nov. 3 at …
Our new environmental initiative: Midway to the Mississippi
From heavy rainfall to drought conditions, the chaotic seasonal changes are here, and now more than ever we must do what we can to protect our vital watershed. The Hamline Midway Coalition has …
Monitor in a Minute
Assessments win city OK Assessments for the Allianz Field “superblock” won St. Paul City Council approval Sept. 18, in another step toward area redevelopment. No one appeared at a council …
Chamber directory

Opinion
Celebrating 8 Years of impact: Promoting literacy and embracing diversity in books
Planting People Growing Justice™ Leadership Institute (PPGJLI) is celebrating eight years of making a difference in the world. Through our groundbreaking approach, which uniquely combines a …
Dearly departed
A “for sale” sign is up at the Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell funeral home, 536 N. Snelling Ave. If property use changes under a new owner, that brings an end to more than a century of …
Letter - Oct 2024
DON’T WRECK PAVILION WITH NEW PLAN We have lived near Como Park for 35 years. We visit most days. Over two decades we have seen crowds grow significantly at the Pavilion with the addition of a …
How to cope with trash dumped in the alley
Pretty much anyone who lives in Frogtown for any length of time has been dumped on. Our home is no exception. Tires in the alley. A broken TV on the curb. A sodden couch with a hopeless …
What world do we want for our kids?
“Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave – and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way.” – Alice Childress “The hottest place in Hell …
Rebuild, Repair, Recycle
Marigolds, hollyhocks, cosmos, and black eyed Susans. These are just a few of the late-summer flowers bursting into bloom right now. While many are cutting them for bouquets, farmer Maddy Bartsch is …
Cradling the Mississippi River on either side, the Twin Cities are a critical, yet hazardous, resting place for migrating birds. An estimated 40 million birds migrated through the Mississippi River …
Enjoying the summer? On balance we’ve had our share of sweltering heat, counterpointed by consistent downpours and bratty algae blooms. Last month saw the hottest day on earth ever recorded. …
Aging Well
Rob McHattie tries to have as many people as possible stop and smell the roses that he grows.  The St. Paul gardener has raised tea roses for many years, and he shares the blooms with …
“What do you do when your car is stolen?” Milan Mockovak, 93, wrote in his story, “Life As We Know It.”  “A published story was on my bucket list,” he …
  Last year, D10 Como Community Council received a grant from the Saint Paul Audubon Society to support a new initiative for the Como Park Tree Trek. For several years, the Tree Trek …
GOOD NEIGHBOR
School & Sports
Views from Central High
Explore the viewpoints of the people in the community at Central High School as they discuss the importance and challenges of the school. Students and faculty at Central High School have a close …
Youth in Urban Ag Connect
Go Farm Connect partnered with Urban Roots to host a free Youth in Urban Ag Field Day, dinner and resource sharing program on June 29 at Rivoli Bluff Farm, (749 Arkwright Street) for young people …
Principal honored, Dumas Tennis Courts complete
Capitol Division Principal of the Year Como Park Senior High School principal Dr. Diana Brown has been named the Capitol Division Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary …
First tribal college opens in Twin Cities
The newly open Red Lake Nation College in downtown Minneapolis is one of the first tribal colleges in a major U.S. city and is reaching a “never-served” community,” according to Dan …
How the art from one reaches the hearts of many
Bri Harrington always wanted to paint, but never thought it was practical, so she put it off until she couldn’t any longer. “I feel like it just bubbled out of me, and I just had to …
Voices Against Violence
An ‘oppressive’ experience:’ 57 hearings, 80 court orders and 12 parenting time schedules
What do you do when 11 judges and referees, 20 therapists, 12 mediators, two parenting consultants (with 37 directives), one custody evaluator, and one guardian ad litem haven’t been able to …
Violence Free Minnesota issues statement on Burnsville Police and EMT domestic violence homicides
Violence Free Minnesota issued the following statement on Tuesday, Feb. 20 to call attention to the full circumstances around Shannon Cortez Gooden's murder of two police officers and an EMT in …
Domestic abuse victim jailed
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a Minnesota judge ordered a victim to jail for not forcing her daughter to see her father. Dani* was ordered to serve 30 days in jail on Oct. 2, 2023 or …
From their Standpoint
Thi Synavone came to the U.S. in 1979 as a Laotian refugee. After living in many states, her family settled in Minnesota in 1988. Synavone said that growing up, domestic and sexual violence was never …
CAUGHT BETWEEN
She lived in Minnesota for only five months and her daughter was born in Iowa, but Dani* has been dragged into family court in Minnesota nearly every one of the past 11 years by her ex-boyfriend. …
Development
Intersection of ideas on Interstate 94
As MnDOT evaluates its upcoming Interstate 94 project, community members are talking about how they live, work and play along the corridor, and what they envision for the next 50 years. It’s …
Hotel plans feel cut off from neighborhood, say community groups
Plans for a hotel and attached parking ramp at the United Village development could be headed to the St. Paul Planning Commission as soon as March 15. The complicated project design requires a …
Hotel and ramp coming to former Midway Center superblock
With much of the former Midway Center superblock now owned by one party, redevelopment is moving ahead. The sale of more shopping center property to Snelling Midway Redevelopment LLC in late January …
Dirt moving around Allianz
Dirt is flying at the southeast corner of University and Snelling avenues. Environmental remediation is underway as part of the long-awaited redevelopment of the Midway superblock around Allianz …
Playground, sculpture coming soon to Allianz Field site
Neighbors may see dirt flying near Allianz Field soon, if work isn’t underway already this fall. Construction of a new all-abilities playground and sculpture park at the southeast corner of …

20 AWARDS EARNED IN 2023

TMC Publication's three newspapers earned a total of 20 awards at this year's Better Newspaper Contest through the Minnesota Newspaper Association. Congrats to the winners! NEWS1) First Place, Sports …
Hamline-Midway
My obsession with picking up trash in the neighborhood began late 2019 with adopting five nearby drains with the Adopt A Drain (https://mn.adopt-a-drain.org/) that Rennie so nicely wrote about in the …
Pavement to walk to class. Electricity to charge a laptop. Water to stay hydrated and focused. These are resources college students rely on every day, but rarely does anyone take time to look at how …
Como
Recognizing the need to replace outdated equipment in the school’s weight room, Como Park Athletic Director Koua Yang placed a call to the executive director of the Thielen Foundation. Months …
For the third consecutive year, the boys of the Como Park volleyball team qualified and competed in the Minnesota High School Volleyball Association Tournament.  After compiling a regular …
Senior Dedication Night The Class of 2024 concluded their classes on May 30 and celebrated with the traditional Senior Barbeque at school on May 31. The last week of May was a busy time that …
Frogtown
The Minnesota State Fair conjures up scenes of copious crowds, generator-humming eateries, and layering heat. Add to that a palpable ocean of sensory stimulation, spectacle, and awe. Aptly nicknamed …
Since it first opened nearly 110 years ago, a space on University Avenue has captured the spirit and history of Saint Paul. The building at 825 University Avenue was first opened as Victoria Theater, …
Back in November, our Frogtown household got a letter from the city’s water agency – Saint Paul Regional Water Services – that suggested we should be concerned about lead in the …
Uprising & Unrest
Breathing new life into 27th and Lake
The 27th Avenue block between Lake and 31st Street bustled with community life. The block included a Latino night club, a popular Indian-Bangladeshi restaurant, and a community organization serving …
Learn to listen
Dr. Remi Douah is a listening presence at the “Say Their Names” Cemetery near George Floyd Square, just off East 37th Street between Chicago and Columbus avenues. He spends hours there …
Billboards at George floyd square show connection, unity
Two new artist-created billboards are up on the rooftops at George Floyd Square. Part of the Social Justice Billboard Project, “La Conneccion,” by Maria Cristina “Tina” …
Ribbon cut at Lloyd’s Pharmacy
Lloyd’s Pharmacy owner Jim Stage (back center) and his family officially cut the ribbon of their rebuilt pharmacy on Aug. 5, 2021. Celebrating with them were Mayor Melvin Carter (far left), …
Through Their Eyes
Origin of Racism
By JAN WILLMSFloyd Williams describes himself as a student of life, a revolutionary on many different levels: mentally, spiritually and socially. “I am definitely a person who is about my …
HOME & GARDEN
Hayes Window expands into new location, offers storm windows
Lost your storm windows over the years? Have windows you can’t open anymore because they were painted shut? Does the glass rattle in the wind? These problems don’t mean that you need to …
A watershed moment
What is a watershed? What is our local watershed called? Where does it begin and end?  What is the largest watershed in the U.S.? According to board chair of the League of …
Recycle your left-over paint with PaintCare
Did you know there’s an option for recycling leftover paint in Minnesota? That’s right, recycling, not just disposing of leftover paint. Since 2014, the non-profit PaintCare has been …
Events - Apr 2024
MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE MAY 18 Ramsey County Master Gardeners will host their annual plant sale May 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Aldrich Arena, 1850 White Bear Ave N, Maplewood. This new …
Local landlord is crazy about green
Not every landlord inveighs against fossil fuels, but then again, Dale Howey isn’t your average landlord.  As the owner, manager and environmental cheerleader-in-chief of Green Rock …
George Floyd Square
GFS: Sowing seeds of solidarity
The little white house at 4600 Columbus Ave. S. is a typical south Minneapolis home. It has a garden out back and another out front, where every year in mid-July the Black-eyed Susans bloom. Its …
REMEMBERING GEORGE FLOYD
People gathered May 25-28, 2022 to commemorate the 2nd angelversary of George Floyd’s death. Others lost to police violence were remembered, and their families, who continue to push for change, …
A voice for justice
Becoming an activist in a worldwide movement for racial justice was beyond anything Angela Harrelson would have imagined for her life. But the murder of her nephew, George Perry Floyd, Jr. – or …
Did Minneapolis mislead, downplay public input on 38th & Chicago survey?
Since late 2020 Mayor Jacob Frey has made known his intent to reopen the intersection at 38th St. E and Chicago Ave. S. When interim design surveys were returned in spring 2021, he and city leaders …
The People's Closet makes fashion, political statement
Sometimes a revolutionary act is quiet, unseen. Sometimes it’s loud and worn on a shirtsleeve. At The People’s Closet at George Floyd Square, it’s a little bit of both.Born out of …
WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT THE MONITOR

We support the neighborhood by advertising in the Monitor

Supporting the Monitor is one of many ways for us to support our neighborhood. Our local newspaper allows families in the neighborhood to learn of Career Pathways Secondary School and our individualized learning paths for students in grades 6-12. We want our neighbors to know who we are as a school and why we are special. Our families are happy and kids stay with us. We want each student to feel wanted and known. The Hamline Midway neighborhood is part of our school's identity. Career Pathways recently invested $2,000,000 in remodeling our facilities as a commitment to the Hamline Midway neighborhood. We’re proud to be a part of it and represented in the Monitor. ~ Liz Lonetti of Career Pathways

Informative and interesting

Thank you for providing a great local paper serving Frogtown and adjacent neighborhoods. Your reporting and other content is always informative and/or interesting. Kudos on your excellent design/layout, as well. 

Paul Wehrwein, Frogtown

REVIEW

"Saint Paul Urban Tennis had a great experience working with Denis Woulfe, and we will definitely be doing business with your company again!"

We read it cover to cover

We just want to say thank you for providing such a wonderful community resource. We look forward to recieving the Monitor, and read it cover to cover every month. It is always chock full of interesting and informative articles. Thanks for turning this into our favorite paper!

Peace, Catrina & Serrily, Como

Newspaper connects us

Many thanks for all your work to get local stories and events out to our communities! I moved to the Como neighborhood in 2021 as a new homeowner during the pandemic, and I’ve felt so much more connected by having this awesome resource.

I always start reading with the intent to skim, but end up making it through the entire paper each time! The stories of connection and joy, coverage of Como HS, latest update on the historic library debate, and Mr. Giles’ column always leaves me feeling hopeful. As a public health worker during this time, it gives me relief to see the ads for vaccination, fact-based information about COVID-19, and the highlights of cultural wellness initiatives.

Thank you for all that you do!

Warmly,
Emily Regan

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