Reading the Highland Villager #2 (June 17 - 30 Edition)

[Basically, the problem is that the best source of local streets & sidewalks news in Saint Paul is the Highland Villager. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. I'm reading the Highland Villager so that you don't have to. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free.]

Total # of stories about sidewalks: 10
Total # of stories about sidewalks written by Jane McClure: 7


Title: Pawlenty's axe casts a shadow over city budget
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Pawlenty's LGA budget slashing sucks for St Paul. Particularly for the police force, who have less people to do things like beat police, traffic enforcement, and have to instead just respond to crimes in progress. Ounce of prevention v. pound of cure.

Title: Rondo group file complaint over LRT's affect on minorities
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Civil rights lawsuit alleging discrimination against LRT because of its "potential negative impact" on minorities. story heavily quotes the PBHRC [Crazy acronym. -Ed.] group, who give the list of problems associated with construction and increasing property values. The usual LRT complaints: loss of parking, problems during construction, etc. Contrasts treatment from the MetCouncil w/ the public battles w/ MPR and the U of MN. Quotes Peter Bell saying that he hopes this doesn't delay the project.

Title: Customer parking in era of light rail
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: LRT on University Ave will take away most of the street parking. [b/c the plan for the street insists on keeping all the lanes of traffic, instead of some of the more pedestrian friendly alternatives. -Ed.] Businesspeople are complaining, and want money to build parking lots off street. The LRT powers that be have 11 areas where they are thinking of having some sort of institutional 'parking solutions', including using alleyways for parking. They have no money to pay for it. Quote from the owner of Ax-Man [Ax-Man! -Ed.] about the problem, the lack of money, the irony of trying to help 'revitalize' an area but at the same time making it more difficult to have businesses here.

Title: St Paul seeks funding for long-awaited Ayd Mill Road trail
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Ayd Mill Road bike trail still doesn't have money. St Paul is asking MNDOT to build it and fund it, but only for part of the trail along the road, and not b/w Selby and Summit. This pisses off people in those areas. Talks about history of the project and that the city couldn't get federal $$ for the trail b/c of the CP Railroad not agreeing with the project.

Title: Federation wants West 7th removed from high-speed bus study
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: W 7th neighborhood council voted recently against a BRT study that Congresswoman McCollum wants to do along the street. Again the problem is "loss of parking" and "loss of private property to new transit stations". MN Leg approved $44 M for the study, but the money was cut by the Governor in 2003. [Again the age old battle of transit v. parking, present v. future. -Ed.]

Title: Commission recommends changes to Grand sign district
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: StP planning commission changes Grand Ave sign ordinance to allow sidewalk sandwich board signs which are illegal throughout the city.

Title: Shamrock's is allowed liquor service on its sidewalk patio
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Shamrocks on 995 W 7th St can now serve booze outside, even though they don't have permission from all their neighbors. [Compare to Wild Onion from last fortnight's paper. -Ed.]

Title: Confessions of a cat-stroller
Author: Aimee Houser

Short short version: Lady lines her sidewalk median strip with mulch, and puts her cats in a stroller and pushes them around the neighborhood. Funny picture included.


Title: Drug store war: purchasing power is the only deterrence
Author: Michael Mischke

Short short version: Editor Mischke tries to rally the troops about a new Walgreen's drug store that is slated to be built across the street from a Snyder's drug store. He wants to stop the Walgreen's, but admits he's on shaky ground as even the 'locally owned' drug store is subsidiary of a Canadian [Furriners! -Ed.] corporation.

Title: Readers sound off on Snelling median
Author: Readers

Short short version: People who like the idea of a median in the middle of Snelling Avenue, just South of Grand Avenue, organized a coordinated letter writing campaign.