Rebuild Repair Recycle | Midway Como Frogtown Monitor

Have you heard about Plastic Free July? It’s a decade-old movement to get people to reduce their use of single-use plastics. The hoped-for result: cleaner streets, lakes, rivers, and … more

By PATRICIA OHMANS | 7/13/22

BICYCLE SHOP HONORED

Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles is one of 108 bicycle shops across the US and Canada to receive the 2022 Bicycle Retailer Excellence Award from the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA). The St. … more

7/13/22

SAINT ANTHONY PARK TREE LOVERS FIGHT BACK

Asphalt or trees? A group of St Anthony Park residents gathered on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 to declare their firm allegiance to the trees. Armed with packing tape and scissors, the tree advocates … more

7/13/22

South Minneapolis resident Roxanne Stuhr said, "One of my biggest rewards comes from guiding people through the process of creating their own individual take on an effective system and seeing them be proud and excited of their contribution." (Photo by Penny Fuller)

Guardians of our freshwater

What thoughts or images come to mind when you hear “freshwater”? Do you see a sparkling lake, hear water lapping against the shoreline, feel it tickling your toes? Is it a gurgling creek … more

By PENNY FULLER | 6/26/22

What happens when you stop mowing and start planting native flowers around the edges of West Minnehaha Recreation Center in Frogtown? The bees return, including this endangered Rusty-Patched bumblebee (Minnesota’s state bee), spotted and photographed last July. (Photo by Kathy Sidles)

NO MOW MAY

Let’s face it – your lawn, with all the mowing, raking, fertilizing, weeding, chemical treatment and watering it requires – is pretty much useless. At least that’s what a lot … more

By PATRICIA OHMANS | 6/8/22

Dave Crawford and Diane Peterson stand in front of their entryway.

The clown colored house on the hill

Perched on a hill overlooking the Como Park Golf Course is a two-story vivid spruce green and fuchsia pink cube made of steel and glass. Situated on a bend in Lexington Ave, it’s impossible to … more

5/11/22

Advice and service tips from Bobby & Steve’s Auto World

After a brutal winter, Minnesotans know it’s time to tend to our vehicles. And for metro area residents there’s no better place than the locally owned Bobby & Steve’s Auto … more

By SUSAN SCHAEFER | 4/16/22

A SHOE STORY

Gene Hartsock is stepping away from a cobbler’s life. Gene’s Hartland Shoe & Boot Repair winds down operations this month, after having a Midway presence since 1989.“I want to … more

By JANE McCLURE | 4/16/22

At 576 square feet, this office space at 996 Front Ave. is considered a small working space. “I just believe, whether it’s for business or personal, you don’t need as much space,” said building owner Stephen Filing of Realty Group.

Tiny spaces live large

Stephen Filing of Realty Group was looking to start a real estate business in 2014. He and his wife recently had a child and wanted to start something in the area. When Filing found the tiny office … more

By CHLOE PETER | 4/14/22

Anna Lovat, Como Park Senior High School student

Why you should care about bugs

When I say I love insects, I’m normally met with a blank stare. Or worst case – a shudder. It’s not a very popular take, but with insect populations drastically declining across the … more

By Anna Lovat | 4/14/22

A family group participates in the 2021 parks cleanup event at Frogtown Park & Farm. (Photo courtesy of Frogtown Green)

Who cares about litter?

Have you noticed those people with blue and purple bags, picking up litter at the park on a Saturday in April? Are those litter-removers actually doing anything to help the environment, or are they … more

By PATRICIA OHMANS | 4/14/22

Volunteer Gail Frethem plays with Basswood at the Feline Rescue shelter, located at 593 Fairview Ave N. The organization is always lookng for help at its shelter and to foster cats. (Photo by Penny Fuller)

Felines find ‘furever’ homes

Longtime Feline Rescue volunteer Nancy Miller writes monthly newsletters and works as a shift lead. “I love this work because I see first-hand the difference that volunteering makes in the … more

By Penny Fuller | 3/17/22

Both retail stores carry three main brands of computers: Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo. Large quantities of computers are sold to schools and non-profits, but community members are welcome to shop too. Wil James is the store manager of the St. Paul store.

Tech Dump recycles almost anything with a cord or battery

The non-profit electronics recycler Tech Dump just celebrated its 10th anniversary. With retail outlets now in St. Paul and Golden Valley, they provide an affordable, reliable source of refurbished … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 2/10/22

Kevin Smoky Day, Ojibwe language instructor at Takoda Prep High School, led the evening prayer. He said, “When students ask me how to say a prayer in Ojibwe, I tell them it’s simple. You only need these words, ‘Thank you, Creator.’” (Photo by Margie and Pat O’Loughlin)

Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative unveiled

Many buildings that serve Native Americans across the Twin Cities are outdated and dilapidated, making it even tougher to help those in need, according to Dr. Joe Hobot, president and CEO of the … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 1/11/22

RETHINK owner Kristen McCoy in an upcycled denim blazer. She explained, “To upcycle is to add value to something in the processing. We’re able to take a worn garment and turn it into something new. We take jeans that are no longer wearable and cut them into denim squares. The result is a reversible blazer that still has a lot of wear. It’s on sale at the shop, and is size fluid (small to large). (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

RETHINK upcycles old clothes with style

Artist and business founder Kristen McCoy has been rethinking the future of fashion for years. Along with her staff at RETHINK Tailoring & Sewing Lounge (3449 Bloomington Ave. S.), she offers an … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 12/11/21

The HiBAR team at their workplace in the St. Paul Midway neighborhood. HiBAR launched in late 2018, and is already on the shelves in more than 10,000 stores across the country. Founder Nora Scharper said, “The world needs one or two brands that can popularize the idea and practice of being plastic-free, and we intend to be one of them.” (Top photos submitted, bottom photo at right by Margie O'Loughlin)

HiBAR co-founders drawn together by sense of purpose

By now, everyone has seen images of plastic-strewn beaches around the world. Half a billion shampoo and conditioner bottles get tossed out every year in this country alone. Nora Schaper and her three … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 11/12/21

Segundo Velasquez, co-founder of Mano a Mano. (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)

Non-profit sends medical supplies to Bolivia – and shares surplus at home

Joan and Segundo Velasquez founded Mano a Mano in 1994 with the goal of saving surplus medical supplies from the landfill in Minnesota and shipping them to Bolivia, where those supplies were … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 10/17/21

Treaties not Tar Sands

On Aug. 25, several hundred protestors gathered at the MLK Recreation Center in St. Paul. Since Aug. 7, a group of water protectors have been traveling on foot 256 miles from Line 3's upstream … more

9/16/21

Maggie Barnick, a natural resources tech with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, ready to steward near the Historic Street Car Station at Como Regional Park. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Volunteers pitch in as Como Park Stewards

For over 100 years, Como Regional Park has been meeting the recreational needs of residents of Saint Paul and surrounding communities. There really is something for everyone at the park with Como … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 9/16/21

Ryan Companies Parks and Public Spaces project manager Mac Pegovac and Bob Fossum of CRWD check out the progress of the storm water management at the heart of the redevelopment project at the former Ford Assembly Plant property. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Reviving upper Hidden Falls Creek

This summer, workers are building a channel and bridge that will connect a recreated upper Hidden Falls Creek with the lower falls at East River Parkway and Magoffin Avenue.It’s part of the … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 8/12/21