Hamline Midway Coalition

This summer the Friendly Streets Initiative trading stock options will host a series of 6 block parties along Charles in the Hamline Midway and Frogtown neighborhoods to introduce residents to a variety of techniques available to make streets more "friendly" (i.e. attractive, safe, and accessible for multiple modes and all users), including place-making, public art, and traffic calmining techniques. Input gathered at these block parties will be used to guide future design of streets in the project area. 

All Hamline Midway and Frogtown residents are invited to come learn, share, create, and eat!

For more information contact Michael Jon at 651-646-1986 or michaeljon@hamlinemidway.org

Location: Charles Avenue between Kent stocks options trading and Mackubin, 3:30-7:30pm

Hosted by: Jeff at 529 Mackubin

What does it mean to "green" your alley? Residents recently packed the Hamline Midway Coalition's conference room to explore this question, share ideas, and hear from experts in water quality and horticulture. The Hamline Midway Coalition's Community Building Committee (CBC), in partnership with the Hamline Midway Environment Group (HMEG), is supporting residents who want to improve their alleys for water quality, safety, food production, and aesthetics. Residents who get their neighbors on board with a green alley vision can get organizing help and volunteer assistance on alley work stock trading options days from the CBC and HMEG. See instructions below.

The Canvas Teen Arts Center is now listing their events on the Hamline Midway Coalition's online calendar. See these events, library events, and other community events here. Want to see your event listed? Contact Faith at 651-646-1986.

Every month, the Twin Cities Daily Planet’s Community Conversations tackle a different issue. In March, the Hamline Midway Coalition is hosting the topic: "In a time of budget deficits and decreasing resources, how can we best promote the economic vitality and livability our neighborhoods?" All residents are encouraged to attend and share ideas. A discussion guide will provide some background information, and the moderator will keep the conversation on track. The conversation will be reported in the TC Daily Planet, and the Bush Foundation will share the results with policy makers.

The event will be held on Tuesday, March 22 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Hamline Park Building, 1564 Lafond Avenue. Refreshments provided. RSVP for the event here. 

Read a recent article about the Twin Cities Daily Planet's Community Conversations series.

The Hamline Midway Spring Festival is a free, all-day event in St. Paul’s Newell Park sponsored by the Hamline Midway Coalition. The festival showcases local bands, theater performances, visual arts, food vendors, civic engagement opportunities, and resources for residents. See our festival line-up and schedule here. Don't miss it! RSVP to the event on our Facebook event page.

Contribute to the Spring Festival: There are many ways to contribute to the festival. You can sponsor a stage, donate a silent auction item, make a financial contribution, or contribute your time and expertise as a volunteer. Contact us for more information.

The Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC) is searching for neighborhood artists to lend their talents for a poster and/or t-shirt design for the June 4, 2011 Spring Festival in Newell Park. The Spring Festival is a chance for the wonderful Hamline Midway neighborhood to come together for a day of music, entertainment, food, and getting to know your neighbors, as well as the opportunity to vote for HMC board members. We know how many creative talented neighbors we have—let’s show it off!

Who may enter: Residents of the Hamline Midway neighborhood, including minors with their parent’s permission. We’ll ask you to send your address and proof of permission along with your submission.

Deadline: Monday, April 11, 2011 at 5 p.m.

How to enter: Send or drop off a copy of your design to Michael Jon Olson or Faith Krogstad, at the Hamline Park Building, 1564 Lafond Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104. Phone 651-646-1986 or scan your design and email it to faith@hamlinemidway.org.

This is an exciting time in the Hamline Midway residents who want to improve Mississippi River water quality! As part of the upcoming 2011 Residential Street Vitality Program (RSVP), residents whose streets will be reconstructed this summer (see map of Blair-Griggs RSVP Project) are eligible for FREE boulevard rain gardens with joint support from the City of St. Paul and the Capitol Region Watershed District. [Don't live in the Blair-Griggs RSVP area? You may be eligible to receive grant assistance from the Capitol Region Watershed District.]

A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression to catch rainwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground within 48 hours. Rain gardens contain plants that can tolerate standing water for several hours. Rain gardens help the Mississippi River's health by allowing water to infiltrate into the ground rather than run off into storm drains directly to the river. Boulevard raingardens in this project are engineered to accept some stormwater run-off from the street.

For RSVP residents interested in having a boulevard rain garden, the City will install a curb cut, dig a depression into the boulevard, and put down mulch as part of the street repaving project for no extra cost. The watershed district will provide planting designs and free plants for residents to transplant into the rain garden. Residents are responsible for watering and maintaining the rain garden.   

The Hamline Midway Coalition is looking for 50 more people willing to save money and energy by scheduling a visit from the Home Energy Squad to make improvements to their home. The list of optional improvements include installation of a programmable thermostat, door weather stripping, compact flourescents, water saving devices and a water heater blanket. This is part of a bigger St. Paul Energy Challenge effort to dramatically reduce energy usage in St. Paul. About 150 Hamline Midway homeowners and renters have already participated--the goal by the end of this heating season, is a total of 200 homes in Hamline Midway. 

If you participate, you receive nearly $400 in products and services and save an average of $192 a year in energy costs for a co-pay of $50-80. If you attend a free workshop, this price is reduced to $30. Workshops will be held throughout St. Paul this winter with two conveniently located in or near the Hamline Midway neighborhood (see list below). The cost of the program is kept low through a mix of grants and funding from the MN Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other sources. 

$650 for Home Energy Improvements

The weekend's snowstorm dumped 15-20" of snow in the Twin Cities. Here are some ways to help clear all the snow:

1. HMC has Snow Emergency signs available that you can put out on your block to remind neighbors when a Snow Emergency is in effect. For information on rules during a Snow Emergency, call 651-266-PLOW (7569). 

2. Property owners must clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall. HMC has door hangers available to remind neighbors of their responsibility. If you would like some door hangers, call HMC at 651-646-1986.