Citizens critical of housing first model at Kimball Court
Frustrations are increasing about crime, drug use and general cleanliness in the University and Snelling area, and along Snelling to the north. Neighbors are upset that more hasn’t been done to …
Natural organic reduction
Live On Minnesota is working to become the first provider of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) in the state of Minnesota. Also known as “human composting,” NOR is the safe and peaceful …
Como launches 3DE program
Como’s new 3DE (three-dimensional education) program for all freshmen has successfully launched. A culminating event took place in November with a field trip downtown to St. Paul City Hall and …
Business - Dec 2024
Business Awards Winners The Saint Paul City Council announced the eighth annual Saint Paul Business Awards winners: • Flava Cafe, 623 University Ave W (Ward 1) – Alice O’Brien Award: …
Monitor in a Minute - Dec 2024
Area sledders, take note Folks who enjoy sledding, crossing country skiing and winter walks on the Town & Country Club Golf Course will need to go elsewhere during winter 2024-2025. Club …
2024 Cannabis Summit
Public health and safety experts, legislative leaders and treatment providers all gathered at Betty Ford Hazelden Treatment Center in St. Paul on Oct. 25 to participate in the first major …
Chamber directory

Opinion
Why people vote third party
This year, like most, the campaigning and voting in partisan offices like president, congress, and state legislature, was dominated by the two largest parties – the Democratic Farmer Labor and …
Local newspapers hold trust while national media slips
The recent decision by The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times to skip endorsing a presidential candidate has put the issue of media trust in the spotlight – and it underscores just how …
A look back on 2024
As 2024 winds down, December is a time to look back and reflect on the past year. Like all years, there were certainly challenges both locally and nationally as we all try to consider what the future …
Could your struggling reader have dyslexia?
October marked the celebration of National Dyslexia Awareness Month. Roughly 3-4% of the school population across the nation experience a learning disability related to reading that qualifies them …
Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.
“My message is about changing our way of thinking about women and abuses of power.” – Anita Hill Hope is life’s essential nutrient, and love is what gives life meaning.” …
Rebuild, Repair, Recycle
The long fight to renovate and save the historic Hamline Midway Branch Library came to an end Oct. 31, 2024 as Ramsey County District Court Judge Stephen Smith ruled that a new library project can …
It’s one thing to cull outgrown or unused clothes from your closet, but what do you do with a piano that’s outlived its usefulness in your home? Pianocycle is a Public Benefit Corporation …
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 …
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
Cross country boys finish 4th in state
The Cougar boys produced the most successful season in program history, punctuated by a fourth-place finish in the state meet on Nov. 2, 2024. The team qualified for state by winning the Section 4AA …
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 …
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 …
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
Will shelter guests be safe?
The move of 25 overnight shelter beds from downtown St. Paul to Central Baptist Church, 420 N. Roy St., takes effect Nov. 12, 2024. Central Baptist, which has operated different shelter programs for …
Midway Y daycare center grows
The Midway YMCA will double its child care capacity to about 280 children per day, with a new facility planned northeast of the main building. The St. Paul Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) approved …
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 …

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
The Hamline Midway Coalition cares about our neighborhood because it’s where we live, work, play, and have built a strong sense of community. We also hear from our neighbors every day about the …
“There’s going to be a huge impact on media and the culture based on Generative AI,” said Danny Olson during a Midway Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Oct. 16, 2024. He’s …
On Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, the Udo family officially opened their new location at 755 Snelling Ave N. Formerly located at the corner of Pascal and University, Udo’s African Grocery & …
Como
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 …
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 …
Frogtown
November has arrived! Temps have fallen. The 2024 presidential election has concluded. Please don’t mind the rash of autumn lovers, like myself, prowling city streets, relishing sounds, smells, …
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, …
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

WEB EXTRAS - CONTACT US TO SPONSOR CONTENT
Healthy Holiday Tips for Pregnant People
(Family Features) Respiratory viruses like flu, COVID-19 and RSV are common this time of year. Illness from these viruses can be dangerous for pregnant people and newborns.
Helpful Hints for the Holidays
(Family Features) Gift-giving during the holiday season shouldn't be stressful. In fact, finding gifts for your loved ones should be as much fun as giving (and receiving) them.
Navigating Changes as a Family
(Family Features) Every family experiences changes. Some are planned, others are unexpected. Some are joyful, others are marked by pain or uncertainty.
How to Get Free Vaccines for Flu, COVID-19 and RSV
(Family Features) Respiratory viruses are common in the fall and winter months. Flu, COVID-19 and RSV can surge during the cooler weather and keep people from gathering with family and friends.
5 Tips to Upgrade Your Sleep
(Family Features) Good sleep isn't just about waking up feeling rested and ready for the day. Quality sleep, and plenty of it, is important for your overall health.