Connecticut Shooting Spurs Local Efforts on Gun Control
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Winner of the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists’ 2012 Best Issue Award St. Anthony Park Park Falcon Heights Lauderdale Como Park Buglewww.parkbugle.org February 2013 Changing boundaries Connecticut shooting spurs St. Paul City Council to review South Como request to join local efforts on gun control District 10 By Judy Woodward Page 3 When does a concerned citizen become a committed activist? For St. Anthony Park resident Anna Dick Gambucci, the turning point came on the afternoon of Dec. 14. She was sitting in a car after lunch that day when she heard the initial reports of the deadly shooting at a Connecticut grade school that had claimed the lives of 26 children and teachers. “I felt as if the wind were knocked out of me,” she says. “I started crying.” A former high school choir teacher and the mother of two students at St. Anthony Park Elementary School, Gambucci began calling and emailing friends and local A vigil of one turns into a vigil of 15 on Dec. 14: Anna Dick Gambucci (far right) asked a passerby to take this photo with her iPhone as she stood with neighbors in a gathering to pay honor to the children government officials. She was and adults who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., earlier that day. looking for a public demonstration, a Sacred vigil, some way of expressing the happened next: “I went downstairs Feb. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Gambucci locks to city residents. Falcon Heights stretching enormous grief she felt. and made a homemade sign that says the meeting is being organized residents are invited to stop by City When responses were slow in read, ‘Gun Control Now.’ ” Despite by a number of concerned residents Hall, 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave., to coming, she took an extraordinary the short notice and the pre- and Protect Minnesota, an anti-gun Local church takes receive one free lock per household, step. At 4:30 that afternoon, she Christmas rush, 15 people showed violence group in St. Paul. while supplies last. new posture in its posted to the St. Anthony Park list- up for the impromptu Gambucci isn’t the only area Gambucci describes herself as “a worship serv, [email protected], the demonstration. resident who felt compelled to speak community organizer at heart” who following message: “I may just be a out on the issue of firearms. The City Page 7 Gambucci and some of her has worked on other issues, from vigil of 1, but I’m bringing a candle fellow participants have worked hard of Falcon Heights is sponsoring a creating a park trail in her former and a sign … to the corner of Carter to keep the momentum going since community meeting on gun violence suburban home to door knocking in & Como tonight in front of the SAP then. She was instrumental in at the Coffee Grounds cafe, 1579 N. the last election. library. I’ll be there from 6:00-7:30. helping organize a community Hamline Ave., at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, “There’s a lot of work to be Join me for a few minutes if you meeting “to strategize our goal of Jan. 29. Mayor Peter Lindstrom will done,” she says, “but once this happen to be free and feel peaceful communities free from gun lead the discussion. In a related [Sandy Hook] shooting happened, I compelled.” violence” at Washington High development, the City of Falcon Gambucci recounts what School, 1495 Rice St., on Monday, Heights is also distributing free gun Gun contriol to 9 Falcon Heights Fire Dept. receives positive review By Roger Bergerson major overhauls. I applaud the department for being so open and The results are in and a consultant’s involved with this review.” findings represent a big thumbs-up According to council member for Falcon Heights’ volunteer fire Beth Mercer-Taylor, “The report Accentuating department. made it very clear that we have a the positive Over the years, there had been history of providing quality, talk of sharing or consolidating the affordable fire service that’s city’s fire services with adjacent something to be proud of.” Como Park Senior communities and a large house fire Lauderdale City Council High launches 27 in University Grove in 2011 member Denise Hawkinson added prompted city officials to fund an that she is “totally satisfied” with the Acts of Kindness Tree-top turkeys fire service being provided to her city. project analysis by Springsted, Inc. Yes, turkeys can fly: More than a dozen of them are often seen “The study found we have a The department serves the roosting in this cottonwood tree in the St. Anthony Park yard of Bud good department,” said Mayor Peter 7,700 residents of Falcon Heights Page 8 Gooch and Susan Weber. Gooch says the birds fly up to the tree (or Lindstrom. “There are some issues and Lauderdale from its station at to neighboring trees) each evening and stay there until just after that need to be addressed, but I Falcon Heights City Hall, 2077 W. sunrise the next morning, when the birds leave for the day to forage consider them more tweaks than in the neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Gooch and Weber. Fire department to 12 2 PARK BUGLE n FEBRUARY 2013 CITY FILES Como Park Falcon Heights Terrorism Ave. The district’s Land Use Committee creativity in the community? Then The District 10 Como Community The Falcon Heights City Council meets • April 18, CERT Organization meets on the first Thursday of the month join the St. Anthony Park Council meets at 7 p.m. on the third the second and fourth Wednesday of each • April 25, Course Review and at 7 p.m. at SSA. The Energy Resilience Community Council board of Tuesday of the month at the Como Street- month at 7 p.m. at Falcon Heights City Disaster Simulation Group meets at 7 p.m. on the third directors. Check out the application car Station, 1224 N. Lexington Park- Hall, 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave. Instructors are Falcon Heights Thursday of the month. Email at www.sapcc.org/boardapplication way. firefighters and community [email protected] to find out the location or call 651-649-5992 to learn more. each month. The Environment Commit- Free tax assistance through AARP volunteers who have completed the FEMA/CERT Trainer Program tee meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednes- STAR grants available Sholom Home update Volunteers from the American day of the month at SSA. Rhett McSweeney, a representative Association of Retired Persons sponsored by the Minnesota The Neighborhood Sales Tax Department of Homeland Security Revitalization (STAR) Program for the former Sholom Home, 1554 (AARP) will provide free tax Transition Town meeting Feb. 21 Midway Parkway, gave an update on assistance for low-income, elderly and Emergency Management’s awards loans and grants to projects Citizen Corps. The second in a series of three requesting at least $5,000 through a the site at the District 10 and handicapped individuals at community conversations on St. Community Council meeting on Falcon Heights City Hall, 2077 W. To enroll, call Falcon Heights competitive application process. City Hall, 651-792-7600, by March Anthony Park becoming a Transition Eligible proposals include capital Jan. 15. Larpenteur Ave., on Tuesdays and Town will be held on Thursday, Feb. The Sholom Alliance sold the Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon, beginning 1. Cost is $25. Those who complete (bricks and mortar) improvement the training will receive CERT safety 21, 7-8:30 p.m. at Luther Seminary’s projects and must be matched dollar- Sholom East site building in 2011 to Thursday, Feb. 7, through April 9. Northwestern Hall, 1501 Fulham St. Traditions SP Land, LLC, and the Volunteers will help complete equipment and supplies worth about for-dollar with private resources. $75. If you are interested in local Previous applications in St. Anthony purchaser announced plans to and electronically file basic state, food, green energy, carbon-free renovate and establish a senior federal and rental- and property-tax For more information, contact Park have ranged from business Kris Grangaard, 651-647-4419 or transportation or just in making St. facade improvements to a storage housing facility at the location. refund returns. Participants must Anthony Park a greener, more In August 2012, due to a hold bring their Social Security cards with [email protected], or go to the facility for a community sports CERT website, citizencorps.gov/cert. connected place, come to the Feb. 21 program. up in the financing for the them. This is a walk-in service. No meeting. Contact Lauren renovation, the building was added appointments will be taken. For To learn more, attend a Lauderdale ([email protected] or 651-649-5992) workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 13, to the City of St. Paul’s Vacant more information, call 888-227- to RSVP, and visit Building Program. 7669. The Lauderdale City Council meets on 10:30-11:45 a.m. at Como Park Zoo the second and fourth Tuesday of the sapcc.org/transitionASAP for more and Conservatory’s Visitor Center, Three months ago, a new information. ownership group was formed, which Free gunlocks month at 7:30 p.m. at Lauderdale City 1225 Estabrook Drive. Find out Hall, 1891 Walnut St. Give & Take is fun and interactive more at www.stpaul.gov/star or by McSweeney is a part of. The new The City of Falcon Heights has free Give & Take is an interactive evening group plans to continue with plans gunlocks for Falcon Heights calling 651-266-STAR (7827).