DISTRICT FORUM Volume 22, No. 7 www.daytonsbluff.org September 2009

Fall Vacant Home Tour ...Page 2

Neighborhood Meetings .....Page 2

Small Business Class ...........Page 2

Saint Paul HREEO News .....Page 3

Bud & Al’s Brake Service ...Page 3

Reading Rocks! ...................Page 3

The Life of Truman Smith ....Page 4

Debbie’s Doghouse ..............Page 4

Metro State Activities ..........Page 5

Neighborhood Cleanup .......Page 5

Start Seeing Rec Centers .....Page 6

Food, Fun & Faith ............Page 6

Letter to the Editor .............Page 6

Our Youth. Our Community ...Page 7

Community of Peace ...........Page 7

Friends of Mounds Park .....Page 8

Inside This Issue National Night Out “ramps up” in Dayton’s Bluff

Dayton’s Bluff District 4Community Council798 East 7th Street

Saint Paul, MN 55106

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PAIDSAINT PAUL, MNPERMIT NO. 3996

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September Events

Wednesday September 16“Fun-Raiser”at Davanni’s

Saturday September 12Neighborhood Cleanup

Monday September 21Filing to run for a seat onCommunity Council closes

By Ed Lambert, Executive Director, Dayton’sBluff Community Council National Night Out in Dayton’s Bluffcontinues to grow and attract more and moreresidents and businesses. We had fifteenevents scheduled this year, an increase of fourover last year. Again, this year, the Dayton’sBluff Neighborhood Housing Service provideda small grant to help promote and supportNational Night Out events in the community. I was able to visit all but one of the eventsand estimate we had nearly 1400 persons atthese events. Four of them attract around 200persons each; some come and stay for severalhours, others come for an hour or so then leave.A few events have as few as 20, many otherssee 60-80. The events also attracted severalCensus workers who were out encouraging ourcommunity’s participation in the NationalCensus next year. They passed out small gifts,including a Chinese Fortune Cookie with thelegend “Answer the 2010 Census” inside(www.mn2010census.org). The Saint Paul Police Horse patrol was atseveral events, their dog patrols at several aswell. The horses drew a lot of attention at theSwede Hollow event at Greenbrier andMargaret Sts. Their handlers were graciousand the horses seemed quite patient with allthe attention; particularly from the many kidswho wanted to pet them and get real close.This event had a lively band called The Next

Exit, led by Kirk Larson (an area neighbor),which had a rapt crowd jumping. They haveplayed at this event for the past several years. The event at 5th St. E., between Maria andMounds Blvd, is well attended each year.They had pony rides for the kids, as theytypically do, but this year many werewondering if it would happen because theowner had health problems recently and wasthought to (maybe) be unable to bring them.They were there, however, to the delight ofthe kids riding the ponies with the St. Paulcity skyline behind them. Two trucks arrivedfrom the St. Paul Fire Dept. and many folkscame to talk to the fire fighters and look overthe impressive equipment they work with. The event at 1300 Conway (sponsored bythe Saint Paul Federal Credit Union andalways one of the larger ones) seemed evenlarger than last year. They always have hotfood, a clown, and a large air-filled jumpingtent for the kids. The clown was making, andgiving away, colorful “balloon creatures” tothe delight of the hordes of kids around him. The event on Reaney Avenue, betweenForest and Cyprus, had a professionalmagician sponsored by Budget Towing withfinancial help from Metro Liquor Warehouse.The Brodini Comedy Magic Show(www.brodini.com) set up shop on a frontporch and enthralled everyone with hisamazing tricks and surprises. The Great

Brodini has been a fixture at this event for thepast several years. New this year was a huge outdoor moviescreen sponsored by Comcast at the MargaretRecreation Center site. They saw Kung FuPanda for free, outdoors, on a mosquito freeevening. One of the larger events, they ranout of hot dogs (260 on hand), and also wentthrough some 300 bags of popcorn. Estimatesare that over 200 adults and kids were therefor part or all of the evening. Another new event took place at 4th andBates, sponsored by the 4th and Bates BlockClub. Theirs focused on a “Paint thePavement” project they implemented thatevening. Right in the center of the intersectionis a large and colorful image intended to serveas ” a traffic calmer,” and as a source of pridefor the area. Check it out and considerwhether your area should do one as well. Each event is different and involves differentpeople. The Beech/Margaret 654 Block Clubhad a large gathering in the parking lot of theBethlehem Lutheran Church (Forest andMargaret). Several folks set up a tent andwere creatively painting the faces of the manykids on hand. Mounds Park (at the pavilion)had a charming event, including roasted corn,and entertainment by an excellent four-personCeltic Band Barra (www.barraband.com),

The Dayton’s Bluff District Council is teaming up with Davanni’sPizza and Hot Hoagies to raise money for community programs onWednesday September 16, 2009 from 5 to 8 p.m. at their WhiteBear Avenue location. It’s called a Fun-Raiser because it is a fun and easy way for localresidents to support the local District Council. All you have to dois plan on having dinner at Davanni’s between 5 and 8 p.m. for eatin or take-out (does not apply to deliveries). When ordering, givethe staff your voucher when you pay for your meal. (Vouchers avail-able at the Council office, 798 E. 7th St., 651-772-2075).

Eat pizza and support communityat Sept. 16 Davanni’s Fun-Raiser

“Fun-Raiser” continued on page 6

“National Night Out” continued on page 3

Photo by Ed Lambert

Thursday September 17Truman Smith talk at the

Gibb’s Museum

Thursday September 3Community Meeting

Friday September 25Swede Hollow “Watch theGlow of the Setting Sun”

Saturday September 26Swede Hollow Art Fest

Sunday September 13Sacred Heart Fall Festival

The focus of the 4th and Bates Block Club National Night Out event was a “Paint the Pavement” project at their intersection.

Page 2 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum September 2009

Dayton’s BluffCommunity Meeting

Block club meetings

Meet with the police

The next Community Meeting isThursday, September 3rd from 6:30to 8:00 p.m. in the meeting room atthe Dayton’s Bluff Community Coun-cil, 798 East 7th Street at the cornerof 7th and Margaret The Dayton’sBluff Community Council holds itsCommunity Meeting on the 1st Thurs-day of most months. The purpose ofthe meeting is to work with block clubsand neighborhood residents on prob-lem properties, criminal and nuisancebehavior, code enforcement issues andany other neighborhood issues, con-cerns, and/or new ideas for improve-ment in Dayton’s Bluff If you can get me the addresses ofproblems ahead of time I can get themto the police and code enforcement. Then they can bring information aboutthe problems to the meeting. AllDayton’s Bluff residents are welcometo attend. If you need more informa-tion email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org orcall Karin at 651-772-2075.

The Eastern District Police hosttheir monthly meetings for communitymembers at 722 Payne on the cornerof Payne and Minnehaha Avenues.One is on the third Wednesday of eachmonth at 6:30 p.m. and the other onthe third Friday of each month at 9:30a.m. In September the meetingsare on the 16th and 18th. The meetings are intended as a timeto listen to and address people’s con-cerns about crime and other issues onthe East Side.

Dayton’s Bluff Take a Hike occurson the first Saturday of most months.The next hike is on Saturday, Oct. 3rd.There is no Hike in September. Wemeet at 10:30 a.m. in Indian MoundsPark at Earl St. and Mounds Blvd. We’ll hike from Mounds Park to theBruce Vento Nature Sanctuary andthen walk along the Bruce Vento Rec-reational Trail through Swede HollowPark to the new East Side HeritagePark. Along the way we will sharestories and learn some local history ofthe area. The hike is about four mileslong with some moderately rough ter-rain. Transportation will be availableto return to Mounds Park, if needed. Join us and explore some of ourparks and the regional trail. For moreinformation contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

Next Take a Hikewill be in October

* Wilson Avenue Block Club meetson the second Wednesday of eachmonth at Mounds Park United Meth-odist Church, at Earl and Euclid, at6:30 p.m. * Lower Dayton’s Bluff Block ClubKickball meets on the second to thelast Tuesday of each month atDayton’s Bluff Rec Center at 800Conway at 6:30 p.m. Kids and par-ents are welcome. Kids play, parentstalk. * Margaret Rec Center Block Clubmeets on the second Thursday ofeach month at the Margaret RecCenter, at Margaret and Frank, at6:30 p.m. * Beech/Margaret 654 Block Clubmeets on the last Thursday of eachmonth at the Bethlehem LutheranChurch at Margaret and Forest at6:30 pm. This block club covers thearea Minnehaha, Beech Margaret,6th, 5th, and 4th between Cypressand Arcade. * Frank Street Block Club meetson the third Wednesday of eachmonth at Immanuel City of RefugeHealing Temple at 815 Frank Streetat 6 p.m. This block club encom-passes 7th, Ross, Bush. Reaney, andMinnehaha between Earl andJohnson Parkway. If you wish to have your block clublisted, or need information aboutstarting you own block club, pleasecontact Karin at 651-772-2075 orKarin@DaytonsBluff.org.

The next Dayton’s Bluff Neighbor-hood Microentrepreneur Class is start-ing in September 2009. This programhelps start-up and young businesseson the East Side. All East Side entre-preneurs are welcome. Class training lasts 8 weeks andincludes topics such as operationsmanagement, marketing, financialmanagement, one to one assistancewith creating a successful business,and preparing a business plan, plus 8hours of one on one time with the in-structor. Those who successfully com-plete the course and locate their busi-nesses in target neighborhoods areeligible for ongoing business supportservices. Some examples of businessesstarted by people who have previouslytaken this course include graphics,landscaping, photography, food ser-vice, restoration of wood furniture andworks of art, custom floral design forweddings and events, and exterior andinterior painting. The course is spon-sored by the Dayton’s Bluff Commu-nity Council and the NeighborhoodDevelopment Center. There is a smallregistration fee based on a sliding feescale. The next session will start inSeptember 2009 and class size is lim-ited. Please call Karin at 651-772-2075or email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org foran application.

Dayton’s Bluffbusiness class

Budget Towing of Minnesota,Minnesota’s largest towing company, isowned by Roy Carlson, an active Dayton’sBluff Community Council board member. Budget Towing will remove any junk caror truck—located anywhere in SaintPaul—and dispose of it at no charge tothe vehicle owner or the property ownerwhere it is located. The vehicle owner willreceive paperwork for a tax donation, andRoy will also make a small donation to theCommunity Council for each car he tows. Just call Karin at 651-772-2075 to findout how you can get a junk car out of theway—and help clean up Dayton’s Bluff.

Get rid of a junk car

The Fall Dayton’s Bluff VacantHome Tour will be held on Sunday,September 20. It will showcasesome of the vacant homes in ourneighborhood and, hopefully, find buy-ers for them. Six to eight homes willbe featured on the tour. Pick up themap with the location of the housesbetween noon and 5 p.m. at 798 East7th Street at the corner of East 7thand Margaret. Realtors and bankerswill be on hand with information andto answer questions. Come early andride free on a vintage 1950s Twin Cit-ies Rapid Transit bus. The Fall Dayton’s Bluff VacantHome Tour is one of the “WelcomeHome” tours sponsored in part by theSaint Paul Area Association of RE-ALTORS® (SPAAR) and theDayton’s Bluff Vacant Building Com-mittee (DBVBC), which featured twosuccessful tours last year and anotherthis spring. The DBVBC was formed in 2007just as the early fallout from the sub

Fall Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour

Photo by Karin DuPaulThe Fall Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour will be held on Sunday, September 20. Onceagain attendees will be able to travel from house to house aboard a vintage 1950s TwinCities Rapid Transit bus. The tour is sponsored by the Saint Paul Area Association ofREALTORS® (SPAAR) and the Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Committee.

prime crisis began to emerge. Initially,the group’s goal was to provide neigh-borhood input on the city’s decisionswhen to (or when not to) demolishvacant properties in the Dayton’s Bluffarea. The idea was to stop the demo-lition of vacant properties just becausethey were vacant. Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Touris an alternative to vacant housedemolition. Homes of all sizes, somein move-in shape, some in need of alot of work will be included on the tour.The tour will feature a wide range ofthese homes and it is an opportunityto see the options available in ourneighborhood. The Vacant Home Tour will be onSunday, September 20. Anyone whowould like to help out with the tour orget involved with the Dayton’s BluffVacant Home Committee is welcometo join. We need your help. Pleasecontact Karin DuPaul, atKarin@daytonsbluff.org or call Karinat 651-772-2075.

Swede Hollow PlainAir Art Fest

Watch the Glow ofthe Setting Sun

The Art Fest will start at 10:00 a.m.on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 in SwedeHollow Park. This event will give park visitors anopportunity to see artists at work inthe open-air setting of Swede Hollow,which is especially lovely in autumn.Children are welcome and chalk willbe provided for them to draw SwedeHollow scenes of their own along thepaved paths. Friends of Swede Hollow (FOSH)is seeking artists of all kinds toparticipate in the Swede Hollow PlainAir Art Fest. Artists are encouragedto donate their work to FOSH to helpraise support for their efforts toimprove the park. FOSH is anonprofit organization that works onSwede Hollow issues, plantings,cleanups, education, history tours, andevents. For more information emailSwedeHollow@gmail.com. or call651-776-0550.

Come and join the delight of hear-ing stories and songs from formerSwede Hollow residents and Hamm’sBrewery employees at the annual“Watch the Glow of the Setting Sunon the Red Brick Brewery” eventhosted by Friends of Swede Hollow(FOSH). The event will start at 6:30 p.m. onSeptember 25 and everyone is wel-come to attend. Meet at the Hengein Swede Hollow Park near theDrewry Ln. and Beaumont entrance. See first hand the sun set and seethe bright glow of the brewery build-ing. After the sun sets, the eveningcookout and socializing begins. FormerSwede Hollow residents and Hamm’semployees share memories of thegood old days living in the Hollow andworking in the brewery. Last year JoeSanchelli and his daughter Nancy en-tertained everyone with Italian songsand stories about life in the Hollow. FOSH is a nonprofit organizationthat works on Swede Hollow issues,plantings, cleanups, education, historytours, and events. For more informa-tion email SwedeHollow@gmail.comor call 651-776-0550.

Dayton’s Bluff RecyclingPick-up in our area is everyTuesday. Please have your

recycling at the curb by 7 a.m.

September 2009 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 3

Save Time and Money - Support Neighborhood Businesses

By June Bennett Here’s to another great Dayton’sBluff family-run business! Bud and Al’s Brake Services, lo-cated at 695 Arcade, have been keep-ing neighborhood cars runningsmoothly for over fifty years. JoelWeis began running the station in 1956,originally located on Earl St. acrossfrom the Dairy Queen (which at thattime was called Fancy Freeze). Brothers Larry and Gary Weisstarted working for their father afterschool and during the summers. Af-ter graduating from high school bothbrothers attended TVI MechanicSchool. After graduating, they spentnine years working at their father’sbusiness. Then, the brothers contin-ued working as mechanics, Larry atMerit Chevrolet and Gary at ArrowPontiac, and both taught night schoolat TVI. In March of 1976, Gary and LarryWeis took over their father’s businesswhich had moved to their current Ar-cade Ave. location. Which, of course,

begs the question: Who are Bud & Al?Bud and Al were the previous own-ers, but the Weis family decided tokeep the business’ name. The Weis brothers remember thatin the 40s and 50s there were sevenservice stations in the Dayton’s Bluffarea and all were doing fine business.In fact, Taqueria Los Paisanos locatednear Bud & Al’s was once a servicestation. Both Gary and Larry wouldlike to see more businesses come tothe Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood On a personal note, Larry has sevenchildren and twelve grandchildren andis very pleased that his oldest grand-son graduated high school this year.Larry is also honored that two of hissons have followed in his footsteps andbecome mechanics - just as Larry andGary followed in their father’s foot-steps. Gary has three children - oneson who is also a mechanic and agranddaughter who is consideringlearning the family profession. Walking into Bud and Al’s BrakeService is like taking a step back in

Bud & Al’s Brake Services - A great stop in Dayton’s Blufftime. The shop is decorated with allsorts of antique signs and vintagecollectables. The charm and warmthof the owners are felt immediately. Now that you know where the ex-perienced mechanics are in theDayton’s Bluff, drop in and say helloto Gary and Larry and enjoy the ex-perience of service with a smile. Bud & Al’s Brake Service is locatedat 695 Arcade Ave. 651-776-2364.

School’s back in session and theDayton’s Bluff neighborhood is full ofyoung people. According to the 2000Census, 35% of the residents wereunder 18 years old. Many of thesechildren attend the elementary schoolsin our neighborhood – Dayton’s BluffAchievement Plus; World CulturesMagnet & American Indian MagnetSchools. Some students really benefit fromthe opportunity to work with a tutoron learning reading, writing, math andother subjects. Would you like toreach out to one of these students?Say, “Yes!” If you are available eitherTuesdays or Thursdays from 3:45 –5:15 p.m. during the school year andwould like to tutor a 2nd or 3rd gradestudent, please call and leave amessage for the Reading Rocks!Coordinator at 651-774-8736. Reading Rocks! is an after schooltutoring program at Mounds ParkUnited Methodist Church, 1049 Euclid(corner of Earl & Euclid). You wouldbe paired with one student and guidedin offering that student opportunitiesto enhance his or her learning byreading together, playing educationalgames, working on phonetics, etc. If our program doesn’t fit into yourschedule and you are available duringthe school day, please call one of thelocal schools directly to volunteer. Orif you are available in the evenings, alocal library, such as the Dayton’sBluff Branch Library on E. 7th St.,may need tutoring help. We believethat Reading Rocks!

Reaching out toothers by reading!

which has been at several NNO events there.This group of neighbors always has a warmand inviting event, which this year also had adelightful and versatile solo singer namedSharone Lemiuex. She is a local person whoalso plays guitar and can be found on Facebook. This article can only cover a few highlightsof these many events. Perhaps next year weshould do a special NNO insert so we can allenjoy the full richness of the Dayton’s BluffCommunity on National Night Out. The nightwas beautiful, fun, and full of life and hopethroughout the Community. If you missed itthis year, make sure you get to one of theseevents next year and meet the amazing peopleof Dayton’s Bluff…your neighbors.

Continued from page 1

National Night Out

Page 4 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum September2009

By Steve Trimble This month I decided to do an articlethat is really a magazine review. It looks attwo recently published articles in RamseyCounty History. They tell the story ofTruman Smith, a man who lived inDayton’s Bluff for many years, starting inits pioneer days. Incidentally, the articlesare very well written and are both inter-esting and informative and worthy of yourattention. The authors-Barry and Joan Cotter-have been gathering data on TrumanSmith for years and have found an amaz-ing amount of material on this somewhatforgotten man, who happens to be Joan’sgreat-great grandfather. Here is some, but not all, of the informa-tion contained in the two articles. If youwant to know more, how to get the maga-zines and information on an upcoming talkon Truman Smith, it will be at the end ofthis column.First Cotter Article: Smith the Banker “A quiet, undemonstrative, old-timegentleman man” selling vegetables in theSt. Paul Market is the way an 1886 histo-rian described Truman Smith. While somewould label Smith as a somewhat brokenman, the Cotters believe it is a mistake toportray this St. Paul pioneer as a failure.Their research instead reveals a personwho stuck to his principles, overcame ad-versity and found contentment in a sec-ond career. Truman Smith came to Minnesota in1851. He had been a farmer and retail gro-cer in Wisconsin and arrived here withpoor health and little money. His wife andtwo daughters remained behind andwould join him after he got on his feet.Smith first worked cutting wood eventhough it taxed his strength. He also be-came a debt collector for a time. He began to buy and sell land, some-thing done by many during the era of “realestate mania” as it was sometimes called.Smith was successful at it and soon hadenough money to open a bank in the pres-tigious Fuller House building in 1857. Healso operated the successful MinnesotaMarble Works in St. Paul. Smith initially lived downtown but hadhis eye on an elegant stone structure be-ing built on Dayton’s Bluff. He bought itin March of 1857 and he moved in withhis family. It is still there today at 908Mound Street and houses the MoundsPark Residence. The Cotters have been able to uncoverquite a bit of Smith’s correspondence. Inone letter the 32 year old explained to abusinessman “my motto is to keep moneyall the time at work and not keep it onhand.” As real estate boomed, so did hisbanking business. But like others in the frontier city, hewas hit hard by the national economiccrash of 1857. That fall, because mostcurrency had dried up, his bank wasforced to suspend business. To coverdebts and expenses, Smith mortgaged hishouse and the marble works, as well asother real estate. He then ventured backEast to try to find financial backing. He was somewhat successful and wasable to reopen the bank in the spring of1858 and pay off many of his creditors.He also kept the marble works going eventhought it took virtually all he had to paythe workers. Smith was struggling but stillstalwart. “I mean to have a living while Ilive,” he stated, “if it is only a poor one.”But later in 1858 the bank failed again. Two years later he wrote: “I am still tiedup with old debts… I have a Family toSupport & having never worked for a sal-ary. I cannot bring my mind to it, & hav-ing been raised on a Farm my mind natu-rally turned to that again.” So helaunched a career in horticulture-some-

thing he loved as an avocation. Smithmanaged to hang onto the heavily mort-gaged house on the hill. After a time, af-ter missing payments, the marshalshowed up to evict them. But he had putthe house in his wife’s name to avoid itbeing taken by debt collectors and stayedthere until her death from tuberculosis in1864.Second Cotter Article: Smith the Horti-culturist In their second article, the Cotters lookat how Truman made the transition from a“broken banker” to a successful horticul-turist. They document how he didn’t dwellon past failures but literally dug in andmade a new start. Smith had been a farmer in the past andhad also been active in early Minnesotaagricultural societies because of his hobbyof growing flowers and vegetables. Hewrote to his sister in the 1860’s that hewas now tending a six-acre suburban areaon the fringe of the city. One early mapshows it running from today’s MoundsPark up to Johnson Parkway or beyondand a little south of today’s I-94 freeway. Like others who even today bring prod-ucts to the St. Paul Farmer’s Market, Smithbelieved that growing and marketing foodfor city dwellers could be a viable andprofitable undertaking. This proved to be true, as downtownhotels were eager to purchase batches ofasparagus and baskets of strawberries.His flowers found their way to many St.Paul florists. And Smith was a frequentvegetable vendor at the popular St. PaulMarket. He realized there was a growing interestin ornamental plantings and alsolaunched into the retail nursery busi-nesses offering a wide variety of trees,shrubs and flowers. Among his offeringswere maple, ash, balsam, spruce, weep-ing willow trees and rose bushes. Grape growing became one of his trade-marks. By 1867 he had 1,300 grape vinesunder cultivation featuring thirty-sevendifferent varieties. Much as he had inbanking, Smith insisted on handling qual-ity products. He once said he wouldrather have his customers quibble aboutthe price than to question the quality. The Cotters’ article includes some of theminutes of the Minnesota HorticulturalSociety from its January 1869 meeting atwhich “fine specimens of homemadewine” were “tested.” Another of Smith’scontributions was fruit growing, some-thing that Eastern skeptics thought wasimpossible in the state’s severe climate. Smith took special pleasure in showingthem wrong by successfully cultivatingdifferent fruit-producing trees andbushes. In the fall of 1870 a newspaperreported that he had a “fruit party” to dis-play his pears, apples, cherries and plums.As he once told an Eastern supplier “youmust get over the idea we live in the NorthPole.” He did make a living, but it was nothinglike what he had enjoyed as a banker. “Iwas once well off & lost all but not

through my fault,” Smith mused, “but wemake put enough to eat and something towear if not so good.” There were heartbreaks. When his wifedied of tuberculosis he wrote his sister:“I lost my wife… and consequently havenot felt much like Business or anythingelse for I hardly know what to do I am solonely.” Smith was also involved in regional ac-tivities. He was an early member of theState Agricultural Society. He was amongthe founders of the St. Paul North StarGrange and was the program chair for thatfarmer’s organization. He liked being aGrange leader since the group’s valuesand practices corresponded to his ownbelief in mutual benefits in commerce andfriendly social relations. Smith does not fit the frequent patternof feelings of failure that some economichistorians believe are common during badtimes. Even after losing almost everythingin the 1857 panic, he never seemed to dwellon his losses. His letters did not expressany bitterness and he enjoyed what hewas doing and that he was contributingto the city of St. Paul. Many historians say that American cul-ture has a tendency to judge people bybusiness values. If they fail financially,they are thought to lack moral fiber. TheCotters take issue with this point of view.They show how Truman Smith did meetwith financial failure, but he never seemedto focus on the negative. Instead, he was able to remake himself,although not in business terms. Using anexpression of Smith’s, time, the Cottersmaintain that he was ultimately a successbecause he was a man of “pith, heart andnerve.” If you would like to own the two issuesof Ramsey County History that containthe Cotter’s two full articles aboutDayton’s Bluff’s own local legend, it’seasy to do. You just need to contact theRamsey County Historical Society and tellthem you want to buy Volume 43 Number3 (Fall 2008) and Volume 44 Number 2 (Sum-mer 2009) of the journal. You might wantto mention that they have the TrumanSmith articles. The Ramsey County Historical Society’sphone number is 651-222-0701 and theiremail address is info@rchs.com. Ofcourse, you can go to any St. Paul orRamsey County library and read them. Ifyou are interested meeting the Cotters,they will he giving a talk in September.See the article below.

By Steve Trimbe Here is your chance to visit the Gibbs Mu-seum of Pioneer and Dakota Life at no chargeand to hear an interesting program on TrumanSmith, one of the pioneer residents of Dayton’sBluff. The event called “Truman Smith: Hor-ticulture as a Way Back,” will be on Thurs-day, September 17th from 4:30 to 6:00. The speakers, Barry and Joan Cotter, willexplore Smith’s arrival in St. Paul, his successas a banker and subsequent failure in the Panicof 1857 and continue Smith’s story with anaccount of his transformation into successfulmarket gardener and nurseryman. At the same time Smith made a living in hisgarden, he also found personal satisfaction incontributing to the increase of knowledgewithin the local horticultural community. As a bonus, after the talk Master GardenerRalph Thrane will also explore the origins ofthe heritage apple orchard at Gibbs Museumand people will have a chance to sample theunusual tastes of heirloom fruits once widelygrown in Minnesota. The Gibbs Museum is located at 2097 WestLarpenteur Avenue (near Cleveland) and thereis free parking at the Cleveland Avenue lot.

The fall and rise of Truman Smith: A Dayton’s Bluff success story

Truman M. Smith - circa 1857

Learn Dayton’s BluffHistory at the Gibbs

Farm Museum

By June Bennett Ms. Debbie Diaz is a long time residentof Dayton’s Bluff. She started working atWendy’s Doghouse 16 years ago, expect-ing to remain there for only a few months.But she enjoyed it so much she decidedto go to school for pet grooming. She at-tended Anoka Hennepin Technical Col-lege and the Medical Institution of Min-nesota, receiving a two-year degree inVeterinary Science and another degree inPet Grooming.

Debbie’s Doghouse

When Wendy Brown decided to sell thebusiness seven years ago, Debbie pur-chased it and then also bought the build-ing that housed it at 805 Hudson Road. As a historical note, the Freiermuth fam-ily originally constructed the building foruse as a Shell gas station in 1930. JohnA. Freiermuth owned a saloon locatedaround the corner at 207 Bates and wasinstrumental in building the Mounds The-atre at 1029 Hudson Road in 1922. Debbie has one employee beside her-self, Denise, who has been grooming petsfor 15 years. Debbie and her husband purchased aVictorian house in the neighborhood ayear ago and love every bit of it. Debbiehas two daughters, Jamie, age 8 andNautica, age 6. She has always loved animals and ownsseveral show dogs that she trained her-self. She also does private training in thehomes of her clients. Despite its name, Debbie’s Doghouseworks with cats as well as dogs and alsooffers dental, boarding, and pick-up anddelivery services. Debbie takes pride in her work becauseas her motto states, “Dogs spread rumorsabout good groomers.” Debbie’s Doghouse is located at 805Hudson Road. To make an appointmentcall 651-776-4080. For more informationvisit http://www.yellowbook.com andsearch for Debbie’s Doghouse in St. Paul.

Debbie Diaz with one of her show dogs.

The Dayton’s Bluff CommunityCouncil will hold its annual electionsfor Board members October 19, 2009.Half the seats (9) are up for election/reelection, and one seat is presentlyvacant. The Board is organized into4 sub districts, each with 4 represen-tatives, and 2 at-large seats. We areactively seeking candidates for boardpositions. Interested residents andbusiness owners (18 years and older)may file for these positions, at the Dis-trict Council office, 798 E. 7th St., untilSeptember 21. Call 651-772-2075for more information.

District Council Elections

September 2009 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 5

Metropolitan State University’s commit-ment to community, and to the Dayton’sBluff neighborhood specifically, is evidentin the buffet of community service activi-ties in which the university is participat-ing early this fall. The busy community service schedulehappens to occur around the time of Met-ropolitan State president Sue K.Hammersmith’s inauguration. Theuniversity’s sixth president, a long-timeproponent of serving the community, willbe inaugurated on Oct. 2. On Sept. 10, Metropolitan State is dedi-cating an entire day to focus on its ser-vice to the community. Faculty, studentsand staff will be offered opportunities tovolunteer in the university’s Day of Ser-vice at a number of community organiza-tions. The initiative signals MetropolitanState’s participation in the United WeServe campaign launched earlier this sum-mer by President Barack Obama. Among the organizations participatingin the university’s Day of Service inDayton’s Bluff: The District 4 Commu-nity Council, where volunteers will helpbuild raised garden beds at the SkidmorePark Community Gardens and plant wild-flowers at the Hamm Wildflower Gardens;the Community Design Center of Minne-sota, where they will harvest vegetablesfrom the gardens at Third Street and MariaAvenue; and Merrick Community Ser-vices, where volunteers will serve mealsthrough the Meals on Wheels program. “Our goal is to offer faculty, studentsand staff the opportunity to experienceserving the community. Our hope is theywill continue to volunteer beyond our Dayof Service,” said Susan Shumer, directorof the Metropolitan State’s Community

Outreach, Civic Engagement and the Cen-ter for Community-Based Learning. On Sept. 11, Metropolitan State will of-fer a “Remembering 9/11” event from 9 to10:30 a.m. in the university’s auditorium.A number of faculty, staff and studentswho participated in the Day of Service willreflect on their volunteerism. They willalso hear John Harrington, Saint Paul Po-lice Chief, address the meaning of com-munity service centered on this theme: DoSomething That Matters. Local residentsare invited to attend. “9/11 was a turning point for manypeople,” said Shumer. “I think it broughtus together more as a country, encourag-ing us to unite and serve our communities.” On Sept. 14, the university will observenational Constitution Day. MinnesotaSupreme Court justices Paul Andersonand Barry Anderson are scheduled to dis-cuss how the Constitution and civic en-gagement were important factors in theoutcome of the recent Minnesota U.S.Senate election. Dayton’s Bluff residentsare welcome to attend the 2 to 4 p.m. fo-rum in the university’s auditorium. On Oct. 8, the university will host CampDarfur, an interactive awareness and edu-cation event calling attention to the geno-cide in Sudan’s Darfur region and fourother areas around the world. Five sym-bolic tents will be set up on campus nearNew Main to remind visitors of the des-perate conditions confronting Darfur andother refugees worldwide. Once again,local residents are invited to this event. “Through all these activities,” saidShumer, “the university continues to dem-onstrate its unwavering commitment tocivic engagement and community partner-ships.”

Metropolitan State University isactive in Dayton’s Bluff this fall

Page 6 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum September 2009

By Chelsea Starr This summer I was able to meet withWill Xiong and Gina Stokes of theDayton’s Bluff and Margaret Recre-ation Centers, the two most widelyused community centers in the area. The Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Cen-ter is known throughout the commu-nity for providing activities for children,especially during the summer monthswhen kids are out of school and par-ents still have to work. Dayton’s Bluffoffers several programs free of costto local children including KidventureDay Camp and Summer Blast. Theseprograms are offered to children fromkindergarten age up to the age oftwelve. There is a Youth in Transitiongroup started by Mary Moore, SteveRandall and Colin Moore which guidesyoung people on the verge of makingcrucial life choices in the right direc-tion. The Center also offers free lunchand a snack to anyone under 18 yearsof age. Margaret Recreation Center has a teengroup that focuses on teens working withstaff and adult partners in mentoring rela-tionships, learning leadership skills, com-munications, planning, and decision mak-ing skills. The teen club creates a safehaven where everyone can share thespace. The club includes: guest speak-ers, field trips, spoken word, hip hop, andother fun activities. Most of the programs at the two cen-ters are funded by grants and manned byvolunteers. As an avid attendee of com-munity meetings I know that these twocommunity centers don’t always get thecredit they deserve and are often criticizedor labeled as problem areas. With limitedresources and an even more limited vol-unteer base, the two centers struggle tomaintain what neighborhood childrenknow is a crucial part of their community. These centers are also sometimes theonly means that allow families to keepworking during the summer months whenthey could not afford childcare or othermore expensive summer programs. Thismay sound dire, however, as a parent Iknow first hand there is no middle groundwhen it comes to childcare and entertain-ment in the summer months. With the av-erage program costing three hundred dol-lars a week, and scholarships beingdelved out as early as April, the averageworking family, even with one child, couldnot comfortably afford a program or cashbased day care center for the entire sum-mer. This is why we need to take anotherlook at the attention and assistance weoffer our local recreation centers. These two rec centers provide a safeplace, a meal and entertainment to thechildren of Dayton’s Bluff - no questionsasked. The centers focus on non-violentresolution and community action. As fallnears, I hope that everyone will take afresh look at the reality of their local reccenters and consider what they couldpossibly do to help the centers more ef-fectively serve our children and us. Thereare programs year round which need men-tors and supplies, and the summer needsare endless. The current state of theeconomy is all the more reason to get in-volved and throw in your two cents; theyadd up and keeping these places func-tioning is priceless to Dayton’s Bluff. What stands out to me in particular isthe distinction of these recreation centers,their moral value and the idea that, if theywere not here, nothing would be in theirplace.

Food comes in many forms: freshproduce, bakery goods, frozen foods& non-perishable such as canned,boxed & packaged. Some of us haveenough and are able to share with oth-ers through the food shelves or ourplace of worship. Others struggle andcould use just a little more to stretchthe dollars. On the 3rd Saturday ofevery month at 10 a.m. anyone cancome to the Glorious Grocery Give-Away at Mounds Park United Meth-odist Church (corner of Euclid & Earl)and receive 2 bags of food. If youdesire to volunteer, please call AlMitchell, Outreach Coordinator at 651-774-8736. Food also comes already cooked &ready to eat! Join us for our monthlyNeighborhood Family MovieNight on Sunday, September 20th.The fellowship starts at 4:30 p.m. withfamily board games, food at 5:30 p.m.and movie (fun) at 6:10 p.m. Comefor part or all of the evening. Themovie will be “Marly & Me.” There is also soul food – food forthe Soul! Please join us for SundaySchool for all ages at 9:15 a.m. andworship at 10:15 a.m. every Sunday.We will have a potluck after worshipservice on September 13th. Hopeto see you there!

Minnesota has always had an upscaleimage that has been dissolving with theeconomy. The state is still a dynamic en-gine that can create new and interestingproducts for business and the consumermarker. Our country and the world havedeveloped an opinion of this state as stag-nant, primitive, and unable to compete ininternational markets. Minnesota has toalter these preconceived incorrect percep-tions through a marketing plan that cel-ebrates what has been created and whatmany corporations create on a daily ba-sis in the guise of a National Electric Mu-seum. Why is the need for this action? Min-nesota has in the past been very success-ful in creating new companies by creat-ing IPO’s (Initial Public Offerings) thatwere purchased by the public. The state’simage has becomes so tarnished that nota single IPO has made it to market in twoyears. We have to change the prevailingattitudes of Minnesota being a cold, deso-late region with no imagination or techni-cal expertise, to that of a vibrant excitingarea percolating with ingenious ideasworth investigating. Creating this type ofchange is similar to turning the Titanicaround in the straights of Magellan, a dif-ficult task in deed, but not impossible. The best way to change a perception isto create a different reality using truthfulfacts to create a platform that demon-strates the truth we, as a state, want toimpart to the world. An Electronics Tech-nology Museum would be a great start atattempting the re-branding of Minnesota.This change in image will calm investorsthat have been concerned with riskingtheir investments, by assuring them of thecompetency and capabilities of the Min-nesota employee in manufacturing a qual-ity product. This assurance will be basedon the truth of all the products and com-panies that have found success in thewilds of Minnesota. The truth, I will state with a gentlemannamed Earl Bakken who bestowed on the statean Electrical Museum carrying his name. Hecreated his fortune through a company calledCardiac Pacemaker that was a pioneer in Medi-cal products. The abilities and talents of theselocal residents encouraged many other com-panies to re-locate here, such as St. Jude’sMedical, and Boston Scientific! That truth of capability relates to a multi-tude of other companies in a range of otherhigh technology efforts, as in computers, con-trollers, and the Internet. The modern elec-tronic computer was birthed in Minnesota onthe campus of the University of Minnesotain conjunction with Minnesota industry. Thefour largest mainframe manufactures had theirstart in this state. They were known as BigBlue (IBM), Big Brown (Control Data), BigGrey (Sperry Univac), and Cray Research.These companies supplied the brains to thecomputers that our government uses to trackinformation; Disney uses to entertain in itsParks; and NASA and the U.S. Governmentuses to track their rockets and spaceships. Minnesotans working for Honeywell cre-ated the control systems that allowed rocketsto go to the moon, and space stations to stayin orbit. They did this while creating control-lers that maintained constant temperature con-trol. One company modestly goes on doing busi-ness while affecting many parts of our tech-nology-ridden world. That company is 3M(Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing). 3Mhas been the standard for video and audio re-production. It was one of the early pioneersof the Internet, and in many more ways hasbeen instrumental in early technological ad-vances. I have only scratched the surface of those intechnology that have advanced the state, thenation, and the world through Minnesotaproducts but the truths to which I have statedshould give rise to the why and how to changeMinnesota’s image to those who question in-vesting in this state.Mark Bradley, former 3M employee

Food and beverages are at the ev-eryday low prices, but Davanni’s do-nates 20 percent of your total bill tothe Council. Many other Eastside non-profit organizations have taken advan-tage of Davanni’s fun-raising programand now the District Council is partof the program. The Council’s board members, com-mittee participants, staff and volun-teers are distributing the free vouch-ers, or you can call the Council officeto have one mailed to you. Thevoucher notifies Davanni’s that youwant part of your tab donated toDayton’s Bluff District Council. Justgive them the voucher when you payfor your meal during the Fun-Raiserand Davanni’s will donate 20 percentof the total bill to the Council. Novoucher, no donation. It’s a great opportunity to see otherlocal residents who are supporting theneighborhood, or you can choose take-out instead. Invite your neighbors, too.It’s a great way to show up and showyour support for Dayton’s Bluff. Davanni’s is conveniently located onthe corner of White Bear Avenue andSuburban, just south of I-94 and it of-fers plenty of free parking. It’s an easyway for anyone to support our Com-munity Council and its Dayton’s Bluffprograms.

Letter to the EditorThe Re-Branding Of Minnesota

Start seeing localRecreation Centers!!!

Tamara Downs Schwei (left), Executive Director of the Community Design Center, andthe young people who planted the flowering pots in the Dayton’s Bluff business areas.

Swede Hollow Neighborhood Garden Tour attendees with the Hamm’s Bear. Bottomrow (L to R): Kim Lerma, Mike Gerlish and his two granddaughters, and Lee AnnPomrenke. Top row (L to R): Rena Lerma, Dawn Kroohn, Carol Carey, T. H. Bear,Karin DuPaul, Kathleen and Dennis Bastian, and Stefan Pomrenke.

The gardeners of Dayton’s Bluff

Photo by Karin DuPaul

Photo by Stefan Pomrenke

Food, fellowship,family fun & faith

Continued from page 1

Fun-Raiser

September 2009 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum Page 7

By Tabitha Benci DeRango, Parent andBoard member of CPA The buzz is out about Community ofPeace Academy, a gem in the middle ofour city; that Eastside school that teachesPeace and Ethics curriculum daily. Mean-ingful discussions about leading a non-violent lifestyle and effective conflict reso-lution are embedded in character educa-tion for students young and old. RobWhite, assistant VP for grades 7-12, be-lieves this peace builder curriculum “brings out the best in our students.” Community of Peace Academy is a char-ter school, authorized by the Saint PaulSchools in 1995. A public charter is aTuition Free school, open to public en-rollment. You need only apply. Each char-ter school is founded to fulfill its uniquemission and vision. The mission state-ment at Community of Peace is about un-conditional positive regard for all, andeducating the whole child, mind, bodyand will. Karen Rusthoven Ed.D., visionary,founder, and principal of CPA publisheda book in 2007, entitled Success In Edu-cation Through Peace, Healing andHope: A Profound New Vision for OurPublic Schools. In this book she explainsthe philosophies and journey that led toforming the mission and the school, andwhy it works. Rusthoven began her teach-ing career in the St. Paul Public Schoolsin 1966 and hopes that the approach topublic education practiced at CPA willone day be common practice in many morepublic schools. Serving families of all ethnic persuasionsand economic status, 15 years later, CPAis a thriving learning community in whichteachers and students alike support theschool’s beliefs and strong ethical val-

ues. It is home to approximately 720 stu-dents. Since the latest expansion in 2007,CPA now educates children, Pre-K to 12thgrade. The seventh senior class gradu-ated in June. This fall, Community of Peace celebratesfifteen years of success as a charterschool in Saint Paul. Recent accomplish-ments of this school include: NationalSchool of Character Award, presented bythe Character Education Partnership inWashington, D.C. (2003). One of eightcharter schools in America, included in aUS Department of Education publicationentitled, “Successful Charter Schools,”for demonstrated success over time, inboosting student achievement (2004).Named a Model Site by PeaceBuilders,Inc. (2005). National Charter School of theYear Award, presented by the Center forEducation Reform in Washington, D.C.(2007). First green space roof completedon a school building in the state of Min-nesota (2007). CPA boasts high attendance rates at allgrade levels and dedicated teachers havelongevity with the school. They act asrole models, which in turn, strengthensthe students’ commitment to the peace-building model. The Community Partnersprogram pairs high school students withyounger students for projects and allowsconnections through education. Studentshave access to social workers and peermediators to provide the resourcesneeded to guide and sustain the peacebuilders pledge, which is recited daily inthe grade school and weekly at the highschool. In addition, the school offersmany character-building experiences suchas class trips, retreats and serviceprojects. Tim McGowan, principal for 7-12 grades believes that Community of

Peace produces “Leaders standing forsound ethical decisions.” In a world of fast technology and grow-ing global business we sometimes leavebehind some very real elements such ascompassion and loyalty. What does thatmodel for our children? These are basicneeds if we hope to live together here onearth in peace. This translates to all of you in the com-munity by the knowledge that Commu-nity of Peace Academy is working to pro-pel our children to combat the individual-ism and inequality that are an issue for allof us, by offering a moral compass thatbinds students to one another and therest of our world. By encouraging the childto, as Gandhi proclaimed, “ be the changeyou want to see in the world.” Commu-nity of Peace Academy empowers andinspires children to see the world as a placethat holds possibilities. These youngadults graduate and go forth to pursuetheir dreams keeping in mind that every-one is equal, everyone deserves respect. As a community we all realize that thefuture is our children. So let’s make surethey have the ability to take care of it.chosen as we are, each and every one ofus, to participate in this life and leave itcompletely touched by compassion andthe art of Peace. Community of Peace Academy is lo-cated at 471 E. Magnolia Ave. 651-776-5151 http://cpa.charter.k12.mn.us.

What is it about Community of Peace Academy?

Left Behind Without a ChoiceSaturday, August 29 at 7:30 p.m.

“Left Behind Without A Choice” isa movie that explores the less media-friendly side of the animal rescueefforts after Hurricane Katrinadevastated New Orleans. Thephysical and emotional conditions ofthe animals are told by the very peoplewho cared for them and nurtured themback to health as they recount theirjourney with Hurricane Katrinaanimal rescue. A few animals’ storieshave been completely documentedfrom peril to the path to recovery andare included in this documentary. Tickets: $7.00 in advance; $9.00 atthe door

Classic Movie Double FeatureFriday, September 25, 2009

With host and more!

Psychic & Holistic FaireSeptember 26 and 27

Noon. - 6:00 p.m. each dayAdults $4 at door for all-day

admittance. Under 18 get in free!

Real Haunted ToursReturning this October

Mounds TheatreEvents

Please visit www.moundstheatre.org topurchase tickets in advance or for moreinformation on any of these events. TheMounds Theatre is located at 1029Hudson Road, St. Paul, MN 55106. Phone651-772-2533.

Page 8 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum September 2009

Dayton’s Bluff District Forum798 East 7th StreetSaint Paul, MN 55106Phone: 651-772-2075FAX: 651-774-3510E-mail: karindupaul@comcast.net

Monthly Circulation: 8,000Also available online at www.daytonsbluff.org This is a publication ofHopewell Communications, Inc. and is intended to provide a forum for theideas and opinions of its readers and to be an instrument for developingcommunity awareness and pride. No material contained in this paper maybe reprinted without consent of the editor. Articles and letters to the editorare welcome and may be emailed to KarinDuPaul@comcast.net or faxedto 651-774-3510. The Dayton’s Bluff District Forum is delivered to everyhome and business in the Dayton’s Bluff area. Outside this area, subscriptionscost $12 and may be arranged by calling 651-772-2075.Board of Directors: Greg Cosimini, Karin DuPaul and Steve TrimbleEditor & Layout: Greg Cosimini.Next issue: October 2009. Deadline for material: September 5, 2009.

After several community inputmeetings this spring and summer, theFriends of Mounds Park is ready toofficially launch their activities. Thoseinterested in learning more about thenewly formed group devoted tostewardship of Mounds Park areinvited to attend the first annualmeeting on September 13. Themeeting, which will include a potluckin the park, will begin the process ofapproving bylaws and electingofficers. Everyone interested inpreserving and improving the park iswelcome to attend.

Friends of MoundsPark to officially

launch September 13

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Authentic Mexican Food

Games of ChanceChildren’s Games and Pony RidesHuge Garage Sale, Country Store

Booth and RaffleMusic, Dancers and much more!!

MARK THIS DATE!!MARQUE ESTA

FECHA!!Sacred Heart Fall Festival

La Kermes del SagradoCorazon

September 13, 200913 de Septiembre, 2009