Kaleidoscope Learning offers third space for winter play
The first five years of a child’s life can be a lost opportunity for learning because most community services, like kindergarten, don’t start until age five, said Como resident Julia …
A volunteer’s viewpoint
Saint Anthony Park resident Nancy Hauser lives a long way from her grandchildren, who are on the East Coast, and she does not often get to see them. So volunteering with the East Side Learning Center …
Concluding 2024, kicking off 2025
WINTER ONE ACT PLAY “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” was performed three times in the Como Auditorium during December. The play was directed by choir teacher Huy Tran and …
St. Paul optimist club celebrates 100 years
How does a 65-member community service club that was started between two World Wars reach the milestone of its 100th anniversary? “From the beginning in 1924 to today, our members have never …
How St. Paul funds public projects under review
How St. Paul funds large and small brick-and-mortar public projects could change in the future. Proposed revisions to the Long-Range Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) process are under study by the …
Election news - Jan 2025
Elections shift to even years On Nov. 5, St. Paul voters approved a shift in city elections (mayor and city council) from odd to even years. On Dec.  3, the Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) …
Chamber directory

Opinion
Let’s dream for the future
As someone who loves the Midway, I don’t love seeing vacant lots. I cringe when I see the boarded-up windows of the CVS, and the trash floating around the old funeral home parking lot – …
Power of diverse children’s books: building social and global understanding
Diverse books aid in building a solid foundation for a bright educational future. These books nurture our children’s social and emotional development. Each book provides them with the tools to …
Letters - Jan 2025
THANKS FOR PERSPECTIVE SHIFT I just wanted to tell you that I thought Melvin Giles’ article in the December 2024 Monitor was wonderful. It helped me again see that I do not want one event …
Consider the gift of presence
“Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.” Katherine Dunham “[the] old road is rapid agin’. Please get out of the …
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 …
Rebuild, Repair, Recycle
Happy New Year! The winter solstice, harbinger of the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and sunlight curmudgeon, has passed. It’s a good thing we have such Grand …
Allianz Field opened its doors in 2019. Since then, both soccer supporters and Minnesota United FC have organized neighborhood cleanups around the Hamline-Midway neighborhood. The longest-running of …
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 …
Living 50+
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
New St. Paul Public School Superintendent named
At the December 19, 2024, Board of Education meeting, the school board approved several action items. First was the unanimous decision to select Dr. Stacie Stanley as the preferred candidate for …
Dr. Mayme Hostetter to become Hamline University’s 22nd president
Dr. Mayme Hostetter, a founding leader and current president of the Relay Graduate School of Education in New York City, was introduced as the 22nd president of Hamline University at a campus …
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 …
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 …
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
ReConnect Rondo receives $2 million to advance Rondo Community Land Bridge Project
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded ReConnect Rondo $2 million in federal funding to support the completion of …
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 …

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 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 …
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 …
Como
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 …
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 …
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
Agriculture secretary oversees food production, rural life, and nutrition programs that help millions afford healthy diets
The USDA oversees food production and much more. However, it has little direct power to reduce food prices – a centerpiece of President Trump’s campaign.
Why is obesity linked to irregular heart rhythms? Researchers found 1 potential mechanism
Obesity can put strain on the heart, resulting in an increased risk of conditions such as atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythms.
Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs may lower risk of 42 health conditions, but also pose risks
Research shows that people who take these weight-loss medications may have a lower risk of dementia and numerous other health conditions.
FDA bans Red 3 dye from food and drugs – a scientist explains the artificial color’s health risks and long history
Over 35 years after the first study linking Red 3 to thyroid cancer in rats was published, the US is beginning to wean it out of foods and drugs.
What are the risks of using Zelle, Venmo, Cash, or Checks for rent payments?
TurboTenant breaks down the risks that a rental business may face if it chooses to accept rent with Zelle, Venmo, cash, or checks.