Your award-winning, Park nonprofit community resource St. Anthony Park / Falcon Heights www.parkbugle.org Lauderdale / Como Park August 2016 73 years and Bugle counting Meet the Murray I Drive 25 campaign hits the road Class of 1943 By Kristal Leebrick on Health. Death rates more than double between 25 and 32 mph, the Page 3 Residents’ concerns about traffic NIH reported. speeds on St. Anthony Park streets A 2016 St. Paul Roadway Safety prompted the District 12 Plan put Como Avenue between Transportation Committee to launch Eustis Street and Raymond Avenue a campaign to urge drivers to slow in the top five segments of city streets down. that had severe pedestrian or bicycle White signs touting “I Drive crashes between 2009 and 2013. 25” popped up throughout St. That stretch of Como had a total of Anthony Park in June and feedback 10 crashes, two of which were so far has been positive, said John considered severe. Mark Lucas, a member of the “We do not have as much traffic committee. as other streets,” Lucas said, “but the More than 60 people signed a combination of vehicle traffic, pledge to drive 25 mph rather than The St. Anthony Park Community Council’s Transportation Committee pedestrian activity and curving streets the posted speed limit of 30 at the launched the “I Drive 25” campaign to encourage drivers to slow increases our traffic-accident risks.” Transportation Committee’s booth at down. Photo by Kristal Leebrick The Transportation Committee the St. Anthony Park Arts Festival in has placed 20 signs in the June. and East Como Lake Drive in Como various speeds, it starts to feel pretty neighborhood, mainly along entry Why drive 25? Park—to raise awareness that drivers important.” points and along Como, Raymond The campaign stemmed from must stop for pedestrians at The standard speed on city and Cleveland avenues. the citywide yearlong Stop for Me crosswalks and intersections. streets is 30 mph, which is governed Feedback has generally been pedestrian campaign, which began in “If drivers were going 25 mph, under state law. positive, Lucas said. “We have had March. Volunteers with high- it would be a lot more likely they’d Driving speed matters for two further requests for more signs and visibility clothing and high-visibility see pedestrians trying to cross the reasons: stopping distance and crash also the ‘I Drive 25’ car magnet. At signs have gathered at high-visibility street,” said Pat Thompson, a severity. The risk of pedestrian death the same time, [committee intersections—including two along member of the Transportation hit by a car traveling on a city street members] have personally What do we Raymond Avenue in St. Anthony Committee. “When you hear the increases substantially with speed, Park and one at Lexington Parkway statistics on pedestrian deaths at Drive 25 to 18 do now? according to the National Institutes Thoughts on the shooting of Largest K’NEX ball contraption in the world Philando Castile began in a boy’s St. Anthony Park bedroom Pages 4 & 5 By Bill Lindeke the largest in the world, quite an building system as a child in his St. Minneapolis, circling the LEGO accomplishment for a young man Anthony Park bedroom. displays at the offices of Brickmania, With 126,285 pieces, Austin who began building machines with Today his massive contraption a custom LEGO-kit company. Granger’s K’NEX ball machine is the plastic rod-and-connector sits in a warehouse in northeast By the time you read this, the Guinness World Records–certified as official number will be different, because Granger is always tinkering with the plastic pieces of his machine. “It’s still a work in progress, and I’m working on it all the time,” says Granger of his always-evolving structure. Granger’s “ball machines” use the plastic trusses and tracks to create looping tracks on which balls roll around. It takes each ping-pong– sized ball on Granger’s record-breaking machine more than six minutes to complete the course. The machine requires both meticulous planning and an artists’ feel for improvisation and creativity, and Granger has both in spades. “It’s a lot of improvisation,” A July 4 reprise Granger told the Bugle. “It’s very free flowing and making it up as I go along.” A few scenes from Now Granger works for the Fourth in the Park Brickmania, a 15-year-old company that makes custom LEGO sets, often with military themes. After videos of Pages 10 & 11 Granger’s K’NEX machines built in Austin Granger’s K’NEX ball machine made the Guinness World Records. The contraption contains 126,285 pieces, and Granger says it’s still a work in progress. World record to 8 2 PARK BUGLE n AUGUST 2016 CITY FILES Como Park 641-1172 for more information. led by Betty Wheeler, kicked off The District 10 Como Volunteers are needed to help an air-quality monitoring study Community Council meets at 7 with this event. through handheld devices p.m. on the third Tuesday of each provided by the Minnesota month at the Historic Streetcar Joy of the People update Pollution Control Agency. The Station, 1224 N. Lexington The District 12 Community program will last through the Parkway. Contact 651-644-3889 Council board passed a middle of August and will be or www.district10comopark.org. resolution asking the City of St. posted on an online map. Paul to support Joy of the Amanda Yang will soon Organics recycling site opens People’s (JOTP) proposal to present her Environmental GIS Recycling your food scraps and resurface the tennis courts at the mapping system to the other household organic waste recreation center, located at 890 community. For more than a just got easier. District 10’s new District 10’s July 15 Ice Cream Social was a great time for all who Cromwell Ave. The resolution year, Yang has been scouring organics recycling site in Como participated. Above, visitors celebrate the restoration of the historic includes the caveat that both public records to find the local Park is now open on Beulah streetcar pedestrian bridge on July 15. parties sign a Community history of environmental Lane just north of the Humane Benefits Agreement to address degradation and clean up in Society. St. Anthony Park neighbors’ concerns about District 12. Yang has a There are many advantages The District 12 Community accountability from both the city background in GIS, holds a to using the District 10 Council meets on the second and JOTP. The council is master’s degree in urban community drop-off site: Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. hopeful that outlining some planning and a bachelor’s degree • It is closer than existing at Jennings Community Learning community considerations will in architecture. Her project has county yard-waste sites and is Center, 2455 University Ave. To make the relationship stronger been a collaboration with the available 24 hours a day, seven find when council committees between all parties. University of Minnesota’s Center days a week. meet, go to www.sapcc.org or call A Joy of the People/South for Urban and Regional Affairs • The site is free for all 651-649-5992. The council St. Anthony Community (CURA) and the Southeast Ramsey County residents. offices are located at 2395 Committee is being formed to Como Improvement Association • It is a great option for those Ice Cream Social attendees were University Ave., Suite 300 E. help brainstorm, discuss and (SECIA) in Minneapolis. The who don’t have the space or time treated to a cornucopia of facilitate future projects and project tracks the history of the to maintain their own backyard toppings. Sign up for SAP garage sale events at the South St. Anthony neighborhood by parcel back to compost pile. The St. Anthony Park park. The committee will work the 1800s. • You can cut down on your Falcon Heights neighborhood garage sale will be toward getting more community trash bill and move closer to zero The Falcon Heights City Council held Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.- input about happenings at the Equity Committee news waste: A typical household that meets the second and fourth 5 p.m. center and establishing a The Equity Committee has recycles organic waste can cut its Wednesdays of each month at 7 Register your sale by filling collaborative dialogue between surveyed the neighborhood on trash volume by a third. p.m. in Falcon Heights City Hall, out the form, which you can JOTP and the neighborhood. the proposed tennis courts What you can recycle: 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave. Contact find on the St. Anthony Park The committee will meet resurfacing project at Joy of the Because waste dropped off at the 651-792-7600 or Community Council website, quarterly. The first meeting is People at 890 Cromwell Ave. in District 10 site goes to a www.falconheights.org. www.sapcc.org/sap-garagesale/. tentatively scheduled for South St. Anthony. With more commercial composting facility, Submit the form with $15 Thursday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. at than 170 responses, this was a it takes items that are almost Night to Unite block parties to St. Anthony Park Joy of the People, 890 Cromwell hugely successful engagement impossible to compost in your Night to Unite is Tuesday, Aug. Community Council, 2395 W. Ave. process. backyard. Acceptable items 2. This is a time to host a block University Ave., Suite 300E, St. If interested in participating, CURA and Humphrey include food scraps (including party and get to know your Paul, MN 55114, by Tuesday, contact Alex Manning at School of Public Affairs graduate fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, neighbors.