Reading the Highland Villager #247

[A stack of Villagers passing time at a deli.]

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also: Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager.]


Headline: Public financing of $77.5M outlined for Ford project; Subsidy would help pay for parks, infrastructure and affordable housing
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Ford Site, a former truck factory, is being redeveloped and, using tax increment financing, the city is helping pay for some of the streets to the tune of $77M. [This was always part of the deal.] The Governor showed up at the announcement ceremony, along with other municipal and developer notables. Article has some quotes from the speeches. the "development agreement" is coming hopefully by the end of the year. The developer had originally asked for $107M.  It'll be about three years until anyone moves in.


Headline: Selby-Snelling is seeing green despite departure of O'Gara's
Author: Frank Jossi

Short short version: A long-time Saint Paul bar tore itself down, developed a building where it used to be, and then announced it was not re-opening. They could not be reached for comment [but then held a press conference when the guy shat on the City for some reason, and just for fun blamed "tap rooms" even though there are many bars that make money somehow]. Article includes history of O'Gara's, and the corner in general. [See also my audio documentary about this corner.] Some people thing it's just fine, and even "booming."


Headline: St. Paul voters say 'yes' to organized trash collection
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There was a referendum on whether to keep the system where the city choose your trash hauling company for you and it passed overwhelmingly. [And that is the final word on the matter, folks. NBD.]


Headline: City adopts final impact study on Ford site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There was a study to look at how the development of an old truck factory might affect things like the amount of seconds someone might be stuck in traffic at an intersection twenty years from now. [These studies are mostly useless, IMO.] CM Tolbert is "especially pleased with the plan's focus on traffic and suggestion for potential mitigation impacts." [Honestly, if we're still complaining about traffic in twenty years, we're all doomed.] The report has some other things in it about pollution and other [more important] things.


Headline: City Council reduces trash rates over objections of haulers
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city negotiates prices for city-wide garbage collection and they went down slightly. [Seems like a good system! Glad we have it.] Article contains a lot of words [for some reason].


Headline: St. Paul re-elects six incumbents to City Council; Thao, Noecker, Tolbert, Nelson outline their priorities for the next four years 
Author: Kevin Driscoll

Short short version: There was a city council election and all of the people in office won. [Dai Thao was pretty close to losing though, holy moly, especially when you consider the fact that he had all the money and most of the endorsements.]


Headline: Citizens, city officials address the rise in gun violence
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People keep shooting and killing each other. Article mentions the "shotspotter" debate. [See also.]


Headline: Committee supports plan to narrow Ayd Mill Road to two lanes
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A neighborhood group met to discuss the plan for a smaller Ayd Mill Road and decided it was fine. Neighbors are not concerned about traffic and parking. Quote from article: "No one favored the city's earlier plan to simply resurface the roadway." [I never thought that either I and/or the Highland Villager would live long enough to see this article appear in the Highland Villager.]


Headline: Federation supports 7-story building on W. 7th
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An vacant lot owned by an auto repair shop might become homes for 150+ people. The property needs to be rezoned. Article describes the property. Some neighbors are concerned about parking, but others are not. Quote from the article: "the project will have more than the required 90 spaces."


Headline: Grand Avenue's bus route in line for improvements
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A bus line that runs down Grand Avenue will have fewer stops so that it can go faster, maybe. [Currently it stops every block, sort of. This change seems great, and long overdue.]  

Signed Copies of "Closing Time: Saloons, Taverns, Dives, and Watering Holes of the Twin Cities" Now Available

I am happy to report that I have a box of my new book, "Closing Time: Saloons, Taverns, Dives, and Watering Holes of the Twin Cities" now available for purchase at my online store.

"Closing Time" tells the history of the Twin Cities through the stories and images of fifty (50) bars. Beginning in 1839 with Pig's Eye Parrant's saloon, and ending with Lyndale Avenue's CC Club, the book is full of fun anecdotes and stories of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the occasional suburb. 

I'm super pleased with how the book has turned out, and can't wait to get it into your hands. And now you can get it straight from me, and I'll even sign it however you like!

Here's the copy about the book:

In Closing Time, Bill Lindeke and Andy Sturdevant dive into tales from famous and infamous drinking establishments from throughout Twin Cities history. Readers are led on a multigenerational pub crawl through speakeasies, tied houses, rathskellers, cocktail lounges, gin mills, fern bars, social clubs, singles bars, gastropubs, and dives. Featuring beloved bars like Matt’s, Palmer’s, the Payne Reliever, and Moby Dick’s, the book also resurrects memories of long-forgotten establishments cherished in their day. Lindeke and Sturdevant highlight neighborhood dives, downtown nightspots, and out-of-the-way hideaways, many of which continue to thrive today. Closing Time brings together stories of these spaces and the people who frequented them. 

Includes bars like Matt's, Palmer's, the Payne Reliever, and Moby Dick's, (AND MANY MORE) the book also resurrects memories of long-forgotten establishments cherished in their day. Lindeke and Sturdevant highlight neighborhood dives, downtown nightspots, and out-of-the-way hideaways, many of which continue to thrive today.

And here are some excerpts:

• Maurer's Bar, in the Growler Magazine.
• Pig's Eye's Saloon and Cantiney's Saloon, in MSP Magazine.
• Red Dragon, in the Southwest Journal.
• and Moby Dick's in Minnpost.

Order yours today. Limited supplies!

[Black Forest Inn.]

[Half Time Rec.]

[Spot Bar chapter.]

Lyrics for Ayd Mill Road (song)

[INSTRUCTIONS: PLAY BOTH VIDEOS AT THE BOTTOM SIMULTANEOUSLY AND SING ALONG]

Yeah, I'm gonna take my car to the Ayd Mill Road
I'm gonna drive 'til I can't no more
I'm gonna take my car to the Ayd Mill Road
I'm gonna drive 'til I can't no more

I got the groceries in the back
Carbucks latté in my lap
SUV is matte black
Got the boots that's black to match
Drivin' in a trench, ha
You can whip your Porsche
I been in the valley
You stuck in trash alleys, now

Can't nobody tell me nothin'
You can't tell me nothin'
Can't nobody tell me nothin'
You can't tell me nothin'

Drivin' on some potholes
Lean all in my bladder
Cheated on my freeway
Gonna drive right past it
My speed is fairly piddly
Valley driving's groovy
Heading out to Fridley
Jeep Wrangler on my booty

Can't nobody tell me nothin'
You can't tell me nothin'
Can't nobody tell me nothin'
You can't tell me nothin'

Yeah, I'm gonna take my car to the Ayd Mill Road
I'm gonna drive 'til I can't no more
I'm gonna take my car to the Ayd Mill Road
I'm gonna drive 'til I can't no more

Twin City Message Boards #18

 [(Site of former message board.) Saint Anthony Park, Saint Paul.]

 [Kenwood, Minneapolis.]

 [East Side, Saint Paul?]

 [Milwaukee, WI.]

 [Milwaukee, WI.]

 [Location forgotten.]

 [Hamline-Midway, Saint Paul.]

[Red Wing.]

Twin City Shop Windows #22

 [Milwaukee, WI.]

 [Milwaukee, WI.]

 [Downtown, Saint Paul.]

 [West 7th, Saint Paul.]

 [University Avenue, Saint Paul.]

 [Baltimore, MD.]

 [Baltimore, MD.]

[Lake Street, Minneapolis.]

Reading the Highland Villager #246

[Chiaroscuro Villagers.]

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also: Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager.]


Headline: Mayor pushes for more public safety spending; Rampant gunfire has made this year St. Paul's deadliest in almost three decades
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People are shooting each other with guns. There are debates about how policing should be done. Police are very expensive.


Headline: Plan to narrow Ayd Mill Road continues to generate debate; Lanes to be restricted as Summit bridge is rebuilt
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Neighbors are concerned about traffic. A city-owned quasi-freeway might not be paved to be as wide as it once was. A bridge over the road is being replaced, and that is expensive. The construction is reducing the size of the quasi-freeway road in a fashion unrelated to the future plans. Article goes over the Mayor's proposed road reduction plans, which involve a bike path and new signals. Article has a picture of cars. There have been meetings at neighborhood groups. [I heard about one neighborhood group committee just today, which voted 26-0 to support the Mayor's plan. The only question they had was how to improve the public realm.] Some people want the construction period to be a change to study the two-lane configuration for the road.  [Here's my BOLD PREDICTION -> I am predicting that, in the future, whatever happens here, there will be traffic congestion during rush hour. It will be caused by the people driving alone in cars.]


Headline: County's winter safe space becomes year-round homeless shelter
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People will be able to sleep in a big area in a County building this winter.


Headline: City may ease up on residential design standards in wArd Three; Local homeowners asked to help draft ordinance
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A while ago the city tried to create rules for people building new homes or making additions to their homes, but only in the wealthy part of the city. "Much of this area is established neighborhoods..." said a city planner. [A terrible term, of course.] Variances to the rules are expensive.The city might tweak the rules to reduce variances about things like setbacks or walls. Some people do not like large blank walls, for example. [I find it hard to care much about this.]


Headline: Ryan seeks variance to height limit on Ford site development
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The company doing the development work on the former Ford factory wants to build higher buildings closer to the river. There are rules about the riverfront area in particular, set by the state. They are called MRCCA. [Whenever I see that acronym, I think MRSA.]


Headline: St. Paul to hire out to improve access at snowy intersections
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Department of Public Works is going to hire people to shovel out intersections that are especially difficult for people to walk or get around at in the winter.


Headline: DAR to honor more veterans at monument along riverfront
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a bronze tablet with names on it by the side of Summit Avenue.


Headline: Summit-U neighbors plead for more affordable housing in Alatus project; District council asks city to withhold public subsidy without more affordability
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A vacant lot might become apartments. Some people want the apartments to be cheaper.There might be a supermarket. There might be 226 apartments and 180 parking spaces. There might be some designated affordable housing but might not.


Headline: County updates agreement for Riversedge project in downtown; Four dramatic towers would rise on old jail, West site along river
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A empty space where buildings once were along the river downtown might have new buildings on it sometime soon. It is a huge project. There are plans for office towers, a hotel, condos, retail, and at least 500 parking spaces. It is unclear how much subsidy from the County and City would be required, but it would be a lot. The plans might include a pedestrian access from the city street down to the river, bridging the railroad tracks and [unnecessary] freeway. County Board guy is quoted saying "at this point it looks good." The county owns the land right now.


Headline: Capital City Bikeway is still taking shape 
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The plans for bike routes though downtown from a while ago are still not dead yet. The city is not as far along as they would like on planning and building it. Article does not really lay out a timeline for the next construction phases. [Not soon enough, is the answer there.]

Twin City Lampposts #23

 [Oakdale.]

 [Hastings.]

 [University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.]

 [Trempeleau, WI.]

 [Onalaska, WI.]

 [La Crosse, WI.]

[Downtown, Saint Paul.]

Twin City Doorways #55

 [University Avenue, Saint Paul.]

 [Midway, Saint Paul.]

 [Hastings.]

  [Hastings.]

 [Hastings.]

 [Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis.]

  [Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.]

[Red Wing.]

All I Need to Know about Saint Paul Politics I Learned from Joe Mauer

[Young Zubaz Joe in Highland.]

Joe Mauer is Saint Paul's greatest hometown baseball player, and given the history of Saint Paul baseball, that's saying a lot. Sure Dave Winfield was great, as was Paul Molitor.  Jack Morris had a some good games. But those guys had most of their best years with other teams, and in Winfield's case, playing for the vile New York Yankees.

Mauer though? He literally did everything a local kid can possibly do to make his hometown team a success. He was a #1 draft pick and lived up to the hype with the Twins. He played the game's hardest position, hitting .300 through a host of injuries with an impossibly calm demeanor. Mauer epitomized "aw shucks" humility, and his sterling character was so boring and impeccable that it became a running joke. Surely nobody personified quiet Saint Paul excellence better than Joe.

(In fact, the most I ever heard of Joe getting angry during a game was when I saw him loudly say, "I don't know about that one, Ron" to an umpire after a called strike three out of the zone. Heck, he and his wife even had twin daughters just to please the team's marketing agency.)

In my experience chatting with baseball folks from elsewhere, say Los Angeles or Boston, they take a look at Joe Mauer's career, all played right in his hometown, they almost always think, "wow he must be the most popular guy in Saint Paul." That person is always astounded to find out that, in Saint Paul in particular, there remained to the end a loud, determined group of people who hated Joe Mauer and used every opportunity they had to let everyone know about it.

[You could always count on Skarda's Bar for some quality Mauer bashing.]

For the bulk of his career, in Mauer's hometown, there remained a virulent strain of Mauer-bashing that pervaded every dive and many of the Target Field bleacher sections.  You could not watch a Twins game at a Saint Paul bar -- and believe me, I've done so at dozens --  without some Neanderthal fan cursing Mauer and muttering every time he did not hit a home run.

(Of course, he was a line-drive and doubles hitter and an on-base machine, but there you have it.)

But booing Mauer was part of a much larger Saint Paul trend. Compare and contrast the following anti-Mauer and anti-Saint Paul phenomena:

• The almost instant disavowal of any kind of success (e.g. municipal services, a batting title)
• The refusal to let statistical or policy rationality take purchase (e.g. climate change or on-base percentage)
• The constant complaining about a contract that is a reasonable market value (e.g. paying for trash service or MLB free agency) 
• The rejection of anyone and any idea that comes from "outside" (e.g. the so-called experts)
• The notion that, if one person or policy does not solve every problem, it is a failure (thus blaming Mauer or the Mayor for larger, systemic problems like not winning a World Series or keeping taxes at historic lows) 
• The idea that people today aren't "tough enough" (when it comes to cops or concussions)
• And so on...

All this is to say that irrational hatred of Joe Mauer is a stupid Saint Paul thing. I call it "Joe-Misomia," which translates from the Greek as "hatred of one's surroundings." Booing Joe Mauer reveals a troglodyte psychosis with deep roots in the civic identity: the adamant refusal to acknowledge social obligations, no matter the situation. Basically, it's like the way Boston fans hate the Yankees, except that in Saint Paul, people simply hate the fact that they have neighbors.

(Like in Boston, however, this sentiment is often vaguely racist.)

[Just like Joe Mauer, people get angry at Saint Paul for "doing the little things."]

Even when Mauer was a perennial all star, and consistently one of the top three catchers in the Major Leagues, Saint Paul nabobs cursed his name. Bitter women shook their fists if he only went 2 for 5 in a playoff loss, or if Phil Cuzzi screwed the Twins again in New York. Each year the Twin did not win the World Series thanks to the usual crappy rosters, local knuckleheads became more enraged.

During Mauer's final seasons, at another poorly attended and uncompetitive end-of-season game, I remember some moron booing Joe Mauer each time he came up to bat. The guy occupied the perfect intersection of boredom, trolling, and ignorance along the third base line, and the first time Joe stepped into the batter's box, the guy began to boo. Joe grounded out, and the guy went nuts.

A few innings later, Joe came up and struck out, the guy booed even louder. "You suck, Mauer!" he yelled at the player who hit .300 for his hometown team his whole life.

Near the end of the game Mauer came up to the plate one last time. The anti-Mauer dude was was really enjoying himself, making a meal of being an asshole.

That's when Joe hit one of his rare late-career home runs, clearing the wall in left-center. As always, he put his head down and ran the bases. Everyone in the section, myself included, began jeering the Mauer hater. At some point, I flipped him off, while he sat there looking the the kind of d-bag who boos his own team at a ballgame.

This is the so-called "Garage Logic" conjured up by Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse, who write about Joe Mauer and bike lanes with equal disdain. This is as true in sports as it is in city governance. For them and their bitter talk radio cult, nothing is ever good enough. "$23 million dollars and only fifteen dingers" translates into "I pay taxes and all I get is are these potholes."

Let's ignore the fact that Local Government Aid was slashed by Republican governors and legislators for years, or the fact that zero of the Twins' top pitching prospects ever had major league careers.** Or that Saint Paul and the Twins salaries were dealing with persistent concentrated poverty. Or that the city's tax base or the team's television revenues are far below average.

The truth is that Joe Mauer will go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Twins cap, and Saint Paul has mostly wonderful elected leaders and city staff who are doing a fine job in often difficult circumstances. The angry haters are gonna hate, but they will continue to be proved wrong, again and again, until everyone ignores them completely.

That's all you need to know. So Saint Paul, be like Joe. Ignore the morons, put your head down, and keep doing your thing. Stay boring. Stay great.

Oh. And drink milk, of course.

* By the way, Mauer's contract is and was absolutely the going rate for a great catcher coming off an MVP season. He earned the money fair and square, after six years of playing lights-out baseball for league minimum and arbitration salaries. His contract was absolutely not the reason the Twins failed to field a competitive playoff team, which had everything to do with not drafting or signing good pitchers.

** Well, there was Matt Garza. But we traded him for Elmon Young.

Reading the Highland Villager #245

[A Villager on a hot tin roof.]

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also: Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager.]


Headline: Court says city must honor trash contract; But opponents contend that a 'no' vote in referendum will give St. Paul more leverage in seeking a better contract
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The state Supreme Court explicitly ruled that a "no" vote on the upcoming trash referendum will not [I repeat NOT] void the five-year city garbage contract. Article explains the ruling and goes over the [so-called, and seemingly increasingly one-sided] debate. Article explains the amount of the potential property tax increase, which is $27.1 million. Article includes some quotes from the [so-called and increasingly unhinged] anti-trash people. Many paragraphs go into detail on outlining this perspective. CM is quoted saying that "we should have been working with the consortium to find a better price and trash hauling service." [Unfortunately] the article includes the words "force majeure," stated that it "did not address [it] in its ruling." [I am under the impression that the County did dismiss this idea in a footnote. Anyway, please remember to vote YES.] 


Headline: Society strives to honor earlier history of fort site; Fort Snelling renaming would recognize site's significance to indians
Author: Roger Barr

Short short version: The Historical Society might [finally] tweak the name of the Dakota sacred site where the US Military built a fort. Article has some history of the name debate.


Headline: St. Paul raises tobacco age to 21; Dangers cited with rise in youths vaping
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: You have to be older to buy smokes now.


Headline: Proposed parks for Ford site gain support
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The development at the site of the old factory might have 10 acres of park land, plus other land that is not public but will have grass or water or something.


Headline: Plans re brewing for Starbucks drive-thru at redone Sibley Plaza; Planet Fitness now open in center, Aldi's to follow soon.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A strip mall is being remodeled, complete with all the car-centric stuff. [This strip mall was slated to be rezoned to Traditional Neighborhood zoning years ago but the owner promised the Planning Commission that he was going to redevelop the parking lot and build housing, but that he would only do this if we did not rezone the site. Instead, he sat on it, and is just upgrading the mall with a new facade, keeping the giant parking lot in place. Very dishonest, IMO.] Article Neighbors are concerned about traffic and #carbucks, and sidewalk curb cuts.


Headline: St. Paul to lower speeds on city streets
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Using its new found legislative power, the city will lower speed limits in some places by some amount. Quote from engineer: "We're looking at the system as a whole." [See also my article on this topic.]


Headline: Expo School rallies for funds to replace treasured playground
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A school is raising money to build a new playground.


Headline: Breugger's on Grand allowed to operate without leased parking
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A bagel shop had been selling bagels without having enough asphalt pavement in place to store ten cars. It will keep doing so. Neighbors are concerned about traffic and parking. Quote from pro-bagel neighbor: "I fail to see how enforcing compliance with an old condition -- enacted when the neighborhood was quite different -- serves the good of the current community."


Headline: BZA allows additional signage for Victoria Crossing West Mall
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An historic building with a lot of shops can have more signs. There is a "special sign district" on Grand Avenue [for some reason]. Neighbors are concerned about excessive signage.


Headline: Mac-Grove resident allowed to build addition to his home
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A person who has a house can make an addition to it that is two feet taller than allowed. CM Tolbert lobbied for the allowance.


Headline: Homeless shelter to remain operating on Kellogg Blvd.
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A zoning change allows a space in a County building to continue to provide a roof for people without one. There will be 60 beds. CM Noecker pushed for the change. Neighbors are concerned about too many shelters.


Headline: St. Paul residents could save a buck or more on trash collection in 2020; But fees for other city services would increase
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Most things will get more expensive next year, but not trash, which will get cheaper. [Prediction: as the city trash system continues to evolve, it will become more efficient and affordable.]