AUGUST 2012 Vol. 29 No. 6 21,000 Circulation Your Neighborhood Newspaper For Over Twenty Years extensive community outreach, soliciting input on redevelopment of the Hiawatha Corridor. ‘Elevated Beer’ to “Not one responder ever said that we need another liquor store,” Krause said, “not one. No INSIDE one feels our community is un- derserviced in that area.” bring craft beer, wine A current ordinance states that no liquor store may operate within 300 feet of a church or Features.........2 school. Krause said the intention to Hiawatha this fall is to separate consumption of al- cohol from children. But that or- dinance does not cover daycare centers, and one is two doors away from the proposed liquor store and will share its parking lot. “The daycare owner is Mus- lim, and had he known a liquor store would be adjacent, he Eco-friendly policies wouldn’t have opened there,” Krause said. at Becketwood “I don’t want or need another competitor, but beyond that, there are better uses for that retail space,” Krause continued. “But as a landlord, the building owner News..................3 has a mortgage to pay and needs to rent to anyone willing to pay rent. I see both sides. No one is evil in this issue.” Another Longfellow business owner said he had concerns with panhandlers and transients in the area, but he blames the city for not including daycare centers under its ordinance. As for Adam Aded, owner of Xcel releases Ruwayda Child Care Center, he Craft beer and wine lovers in the Longfellow area will have another source to choose from when Elevated Beer, indicated that he is not against substation design Wine and Spirits opens this fall at 4135 Hiawatha Ave. Tom Boland and Ryan Widuch, co-owners of the planned business, but against a liquor liquor store, got their start with home brewing. (Photo by Stefanie Berres) store in the area. “I care about the whole area,” By JAN WILLMS lection of beer and product ex- Steve Krause, owner of Min- he said. “My house is also near- News..................5 Craft beer and wine lovers in pertise,” explained Boland. “Our nehaha Lake Wine and Spirits, ad- by.” the Longfellow area will have an- staff will show customers around, mits that some of his motives in He said he signed a lease for other source to choose from when and those customers can learn questioning the new business in the daycare operation in October Elevated Beer, Wine and Spirits about craft beers and wines.” the area are selfish. 2011. The center has four shifts opens this fall at 4135 Hiawatha Although many are welcom- “I already compete with six and serves a total of 360 children, Ave. ing the new business to the area, other liquor stores in a two-mile from the age of six weeks to 12 Tom Boland and Ryan there are some concerns about El- radius of my store,” he said. He years. It is open seven days a week Widuch, co-owners of the evated Beer’s proximity to a day- added that he sits on a communi- from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. planned liquor store, got their care center and the traffic it might ty advisory committee for the start with home brewing. bring to the neighborhood. Minnehaha area. The group did Continued on page 4 “We learned a lot about beer New regulations that way,” Boland said. “We have been involved in the community guide area boaters for awhile, and this place is an op- portunity to put in a different, new and exciting retail side of “We will focus on a wide things.” Boland said their location is a Feature............7 former coffee shop and deli, selection of beer and known as Hiawatha Joe’s, which has been closed for a couple of years. product expertise.” Although the two produced home brews for the past three or four years, their dream to go com- mercial with a production brew- ery for their own beers is currently - Elevated Beer, Wine and Spirits on hold. Instead, their store will offer not only craft brews and owner Tom Boland Longfellow's hand wines but other products as well. found at Park Board “We will focus on a wide se- Eco-friendly policies cutting waste at Becketwood By IRIC NATHANSON The large trash barrels are dis- appearing from Jason Brenny’s kitchen. 1885 University Ave. There were five when Brenny was hired as the chef at the Beck- St. Paul, MN 55104 etwood Cooperative two years 651-645-7045 ago. “Now, there are only two left. Soon, we will be down to just Publishers: one,” said Brenny who manages Calvin deRuyter, Tim Nelson dining services for members of the Managing Editor: West River Parkway senior co-op. Brenny has been able to elim- Denis Woulfe inate the trash containers because Advertising: almost everything that leaves his Denis Woulfe - 651-917-4183 kitchen is composted or recycled. Colette Mullenmaster - 651-494-8047 Becketwood is ramping up its ef- Photographer: forts to combat waste in response Stefanie Berres to a new set of eco-friendly poli- cies adopted by the cooperative Production/Illustrations: last year. Bob Wasiluk The policies were incorporat- Contributing Writers: ed in the Strategic Imperatives, a Iric Nathanson, Deborah Brotz, five year plan intended to guide Jane McClure, Tesha M. Christensen, the operation of the 210 unit Sherri Moore, Tom Gilsenan, housing complex. “Environmental Jan Willms sustainability is important for Becketwood’s chef, Jason Brenny, is shown here with Ruth Halvorson, who chairs the Co-op’s Food Committee (on those of us who live here, and we the left) and Carol Mockovak, who co-chairs the Environment Committee. Brenny is able to compost and recycle know it will be important to the virtually all the waste leaving his kitchen, including these food utensils and containers. (Photo by Stefanie Berres) baby boomers who will start look- ing for housing options as they prepare to retire. People will want friendly practices even before the virtually all of the waste from that the title sparked some interest- five year plan had been adopted. Jason’s dining room, including ing conversations in the Becket- Now, communicate with the to live here if they know we are Longfellow/Nokomis promoting a green ethic,” said “We were already composting and paper napkins and disposable wood hallways. “It was a show and Messenger electronically! Carol Mockovak, who helped recycling on an individual basis food containers.” it was about trash, but was it art? Now it’s easier than ever to keep in touch draft the Imperatives plan and but we wanted to take that to a Mockovak acknowledged that That is a very fluid term,” said with the Messenger. Letters to the editor now co-chairs Becketwood’s Envi- new level. We knew that our din- the new recycling system is some- Nordstrom, who serves as the co- and news releases for publication can be ronment Committee. ing room was making too large a what complicated. “There is a op’s in-house art curator. sent via e-mail at denisw@aplacetore- member.com. Be sure to send copy in the Mockovak explained that the contribution to the landfills so we learning curve for all us,” she said. “I knew that a new system for body of the e-mail, and please mark co-op had started promoting eco- started looking for a new approach “Now, with this new system, we are the disposing of things would be whether the copy is a letter, a news release that could maximize opportunities not able to recycle some the plastic complicated, and no list or chart for publication, or perhaps just your thoughts on the last issue. Don’t forget to for kitchen waste recycling. containers that we used to put in would tell the story graphically write! After considering several op- the recycling bins. There is a coding enough,” Nordstrom added. “So, tions, Becketwood selected a new system on the containers that tells to make things clear, we created a The Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger is a vendor, Eureka Recycling, that of- us whether we can or cannot recy- massive display of actual trash. It monthly community publication in the Longfellow and Nokomis areas of Min- fered composting as well as recy- cle them, so we are educating peo- showed what kinds of things went neapolis, owned and operated by cling services. Eureka, a Twin ple here about using the codes.” into which containers. As this was deRuyter-Nelson Publications, Inc. All cor- Cities-based non-profit, collects In order to help educate Beck- set up near where people got their respondence should be sent to the Mes- senger, 1885 University Ave., #110, St. Paul, food scraps and other com- etwood members about the new mail, everyone in the building MN 55104. Editorial and advertising of- postable materials, including recycling policy, the cooperative had a whole week to learn and re- fices can be reached at 651-645-7045. Our paper products, and transports put on a “Trashy Art Show” this view the system.” fax number is 651-645-4780. them to a local commercial com- spring. Jerry Nordstrom, who or- All rights reserved. The contents of the posting facility where they are ganized the show, acknowledged Continued on page 5 Messenger cannot be reproduced without made into dirt. express written permission of the publish- er. Copyright ©2012. “In the past, we were able to compost vegetable scraps from our own kitchens by hauling the scraps out to the large composting bins behind our main parking MESSENGER BUY LOCAL! lot,” Mockovak said.